RAIPUR, October 20: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai flagged off two new passenger train services between Raipur and Rowtghat and Raipur and Kurud from platform number 7 of Raipur railway station on Tuesday. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw joined the event through video conferencing.
The event marked the inauguration of the Taloki-Rowtghat new rail line and the Abhanpur-Kurud broad-gauge rail section. Dignitaries also laid the foundation stone for an electric locomotive maintenance facility in Raipur, which will be developed at a cost of ₹133 crore.
During the event, the Union Railway Minister hinted at the introduction of 100 new trains in Chhattisgarh in the coming years. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai stated that train services would be extended to Dhamtari in the future. The arrival of trains in Rowtghat for the first time marks a significant step towards connecting the remote areas of Bastar and southern Chhattisgarh with the state capital.
Expanding rail connectivity
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that long-standing demands for rail connectivity in various parts of Chhattisgarh were now being fulfilled, bringing previously isolated regions into the railway network.
The Railway Minister stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued clear directives to address the shortage of railway lines in the state. Under his leadership, the railway budget allocation for Chhattisgarh has increased to ₹7,500 crore, with ongoing railway projects worth approximately ₹57,000 crore across the state.
Vaishnaw outlined plans to start train services from Raipur to Dhamtari within the next few months. Officials also discussed a proposed future rail link connecting Raipur to Visakhapatnam via Rowtghat and Jagdalpur, although no final timeline has been fixed.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai praised the ongoing development, stating that the railway budget for the state had increased significantly from the ₹300 crore allocated during the UPA government’s tenure. Sai highlighted approvals for rail links involving Rajnandgaon, Ambikapur, Barwadih and Rowtghat to Jagdalpur. He said that eight new railway stations had been completed and mentioned his request to extend the rail link from Jashpur district to Dharamjaigarh.
Project details
The Dalli-Rajhara to Rowtghat railway line project spans 95 kilometres and has an estimated cost of ₹1,628 crore. The newly opened 17.5-kilometre Taloki-Rowtghat section brings passenger rail services directly to Rowtghat, making travel to Raipur easier for residents of Bastar and southern Chhattisgarh.
The new rail link will also facilitate freight transportation by streamlining the movement of iron ore from the Rowtghat region to the Bhilai Steel Plant, thereby supporting industrial activities.
The Abhanpur-Kurud rail section forms part of the ₹306-crore, 67-kilometre Kanker-Dhamtari and Abhanpur-Rajim gauge conversion project. The completion of the 22-kilometre Abhanpur-Kurud section provides students, daily commuters and traders from the Dhamtari region with an alternative travel option to the state capital.
Improved rail connectivity is also expected to help in transporting agricultural produce to markets, benefiting farmers and traders in the region.
Electric locomotive maintenance facility
The new electric locomotive maintenance facility at the Raipur Diesel Loco Shed will be developed with an investment of ₹133 crore and will have the capacity to maintain 300 high-horsepower electric locomotives. The facility is expected to improve engine availability and operational reliability.
The Raipur Diesel Loco Shed was established in February 1993 and began operations in May 1995 with 10 diesel engines. The number of locomotives reached 100 by March 2008 and 200 by May 2018. The shed began maintaining its first electric locomotive in October 2020.
Elected representatives present at Raipur railway station included Members of Parliament Brijmohan Agrawal and Roop Kumari Chaudhary, Rajya Sabha MP Laxmi Verma, and MLAs Rajesh Munat, Purandar Mishra and Motilal Sahu, along with senior railway officials.
