8th January, 2026 (Vrindavan Today News): The long-pending railway project between Mathura and Vrindavan is set for a strategic rethink. While the Railways had begun work on converting the existing line into a broad-gauge railway in 2023, strong opposition from traders and local residents brought the project to a halt. The new approach now under consideration prioritises road construction first, with plans for an elevated railway line on pillars to be taken up at a later stage.
The original project involved building a broad-gauge railway line between Mathura and Vrindavan at an elevated height of nearly seven to eight feet. Traders and residents argued that such a structure would physically divide the city into two parts, disrupt markets, and create long-term urban and social problems. Protests by Braj residents intensified as construction of road overbridges (ROBs) and road underbridges (RUBs) began at several points along the alignment.
As a result, work on the ₹400-crore broad-gauge project was stopped. The plan had envisaged running a five-coach air-conditioned train on the 12-kilometre Mathura–Vrindavan stretch, significantly improving rail connectivity between the two pilgrimage centres.
Local residents instead demanded an elevated rail corridor, where trains would operate on pillars, allowing roads to function freely below. According to them, such a model would prevent the city from being split, ease traffic congestion, and create an additional road corridor between Mathura and Vrindavan. Improved connectivity, they argued, would also boost employment and economic activity in the region.
However, the elevated rail option came with a much higher price tag. Preliminary estimates suggested that an elevated corridor would cost around ₹1,400 crore, nearly three times the cost of the original project. Due to financial and technical considerations, a final decision on the elevated railway could not be taken, and the project remained in limbo.
Now, Member of Parliament Hema Malini has taken up the issue on a priority basis. The revised proposal focuses on constructing a road along the 12-kilometre railway alignment first. The elevated railway, with trains running on pillars, is being envisioned as a future phase.
Confirming this approach, MP’s representative Janardan Sharma said that developing a road on the Mathura–Vrindavan railway corridor is currently Hema Malini’s top priority. “The road will be constructed first. In the future, a detailed plan will be prepared for running trains on pillars along this route,” he said.
The move is being seen as an attempt to balance infrastructure development with local concerns, while keeping the possibility of a modern, elevated rail system open for the future.
