Rail revolution in Chhattisgarh: Rail development projects worth Rs 47 thousand crores in progress…

The rail development projects in Chhattisgarh will enhance the possibilities of travel, tourism, business and employment in the state -Photo Credit- Shutterstock

IN Short

*Rail network will double by the year 2030

*32 Amrit Bharat stations will have world class facilities

*Survey of new rail projects in final stage

*Along with rail facilities, possibilities of tourism, trade, industry and employment will boom

Raipur : On the initiative of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, new rail projects are getting approval to fulfill the concept of developed India and developed Chhattisgarh and to boost the economy of Chhattisgarh. From the year 1853 to 2014, in 161 years, only 1100 route kilometers of rail line was laid in Chhattisgarh. However now under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from the year 2014 to the year 2030, the rail network in the state will double to 2200 route kilometers.

In the budget of the year 2025-26, the Central Government has allocated an amount of Rs 6925 crore to Chhattisgarh. At present, with the help of the Central Government, work on rail development projects is in progress in Chhattisgarh at a cost of Rs 47 thousand crore.

The state has received the gift of two new Vande Bharat trains Raipur-Visakhapatnam and Raipur-Nagpur. Apart from this, the state government has also decided to conduct a survey for the metro train. It is worth mentioning that during the tenure of former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the zonal office in Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh was approved.

With the completion of the new and ongoing rail project of Chhattisgarh, along with the increase in rail facilities in the state, the possibilities of tourism, trade, industry as well as employment will also increase here. These rail projects will accelerate socio-economic development.

World Class Railway Station

32 stations of Chhattisgarh state are being developed as world class railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Yojana. These stations are being made equipped with modern passenger facilities, world-class facilities.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 5 redeveloped Ambikapur, Urkura, Bhilai, Bhanupratappur and Dongargarh stations of the state under Amrit Bharat Railway Station Yojana.
32 railway stations are being redeveloped under Amrit Bharat Railway Station Yojana at a cost of approximately Rs 1680 crore, which also includes comprehensive redevelopment of three major stations Bilaspur (cost 435 crores), Raipur (cost-463 crores) and Durg station (cost-456 crores).

Under Amrit Bharat Station, the stations of Bhatapara, Bhilai Power House, Tilda Nevra, Bilha, Balod, Dallirajhara, Hathband, Sarona, Maroda, Mandirhasaud, Nipania, Bhilai Nagar, Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Raigarh, Baradwar, Champa, Naila, Janjgir, Akaltara, Korba, Uslapur, Pendra Road, Baikunthpur Road, Bilaspur, Mahasamund, Jagdalpur are being redeveloped.

Railway projects in progress

As of now , approved railway projects worth Rs 47 thousand crores are being constructed in Chhattisgarh. The major projects among these are – Rajnandgaon-Nagpur third line, length 228 km, 48 km in Chhattisgarh, cost 3544.25 crores, Bilaspur-Jharsuguda fourth line, length-206 km, 153 km in Chhattisgarh, cost 2135.34 crores, Kharsia-Dharamjaygarh new rail line, length-162.5 km, cost 3438.39 crores, Gaurela-Pendra Road-Gevra Road project, length 156.81 km, cost 4970.11 crores, Kendri-Dhamtari and Abhanpur-Rajim gauge conversion, length-67.20 km, cost- 544 crores, Boridand-Ambikapur doubling, length 80 km, cost- 776 crores, Chirmiri-Nagpur new halt line, length- 17 km, cost- 622.34 crores rupees are included. Newly approved rail projects in Bastar region

The Railway Ministry of the Government of India has approved the Raoghat-Jagdalpur new rail line (140 km) project. This project will cost Rs 3513.11 crore. This decision will prove to be a milestone in the social, economic and industrial development of the Bastar region.

The approval of Raoghat-Jagdalpur rail line will enhance the possibilities of travel, tourism, business and employment in the Bastar region. This rail project will also play an important role in the eradication of Naxalism.

The work of doubling the KK rail line (Kotvalsa to Kinrdul) in Bastar is going on at a fast pace. 170 km of the 446 km long rail line is in Chhattisgarh. 148 km of doubling work of this rail line has been completed in Chhattisgarh.

Sukma-Dantewada-Bijapur also in rail network

After the Central Government approved the final location survey work of the proposed 160.33 km long new rail line from Kothagudem (Telangana) to Kirandul, the survey is now in its final phase . 138.51 km of this proposed rail line will pass through Sukma, Dantewada and Bijapur of Chhattisgarh, which have been deprived of rail connectivity till now. This project will not only make transportation easier, but will also bring revolutionary changes in the socio-economic development of these districts.

Survey of new rail projects in final stage

In Chhattisgarh, Detailed Project Report ( DPR) of Ambikapur-Barwadih 200 km cost 9718 crore, Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Parmalkasa new rail line 278 km cost 7854 crore, Raoghat-Jagdalpur new rail line 140 km cost 3513 crore, Sardega-Bhalumada new rail line 37.24 km cost 1282 crore rupees and Dharamjaigarh-Pathalgaon-Lohardaga 301 km cost 16,834 crore rupees rail projects is being prepared. Survey work for Dharamjaigarh-Lohardaga and Ambikapur-Barwadih rail project is in final stage.

Chhattisgarh Railway Corporation project

Chhattisgarh government has made a budget provision of Rs 300 crore for construction of Katghora to Dongargarh rail line to increase rail connectivity. With the construction of this railway line, the load of goods trains running on the Nagpur-Jharsuguda railway route will be reduced. The Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Fund Advisory Committee approved the grant of Rs 300 crore to Chhattisgarh Railway Corporation for land acquisition and initial construction work for the Dongargarh-Kabirdham-Mungeli-Katghora railway line.