New railway lines are being laid even in the remote forest areas of Bastar and Surguja
Arrangements for passenger and goods transport are being strengthened
Raipur, 14 December 2024
In Chhattisgarh, the rail network is continuously expanding under the double engine government of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai. Work is progressing rapidly on many projects to lay new rail lines. The strengthening rail network in Chhattisgarh will not only increase the facilities for goods transport in the coming times, but the people here will also get many new options for convenient travel within and outside the state. The expansion of the rail network in the state will also give new impetus to industrial and infrastructure development.
With the better coordination between Chhattisgarh government and Railway Ministry, the work of new railway lines in the state is progressing rapidly. Under Raoghat Railway Line Project, passenger trains are being operated on the newly laid 77 km line from Dallirajhara to Antagarh. Thousands of villagers living on both sides of this railway line are now boarding trains from their villages and travelling economically to Dallirajhara, Durg, Bhilai and Raipur every day. To extend this railway line to Raoghat, the construction of five bridges from Tumapal (Tahoki) to Kosaronda has been completed. The work of laying railway tracks is also in progress. The construction of 21 bridges along with earthwork from Kosaronda to Phulpad and Phulpad to Raoghat has been completed. Along with this, work on 27 bridges is in progress. The work of railway station building, platform and residential building near Sargipal is also in progress. With Raoghat being connected to Bhilai by rail, Bhilai Steel Plant will be able to get iron ore supply on a large scale. Besides, the people of this remote area will also have an easily accessible and affordable means of transportation.
In Bastar, the work of KK (Kottavalsa to Kirndul) railway line doubling project is also progressing at a fast pace. 170 km of this 446 km long railway line is in Chhattisgarh. Its length is 92 km in Bastar district and 78 km in Dantewada district. The doubling work of 148 km of this railway line has been completed in Chhattisgarh, which includes 92 km in Bastar district and 56 km in Dantewada district.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai is emphasizing on the proper use of rail transport for the economic development of the state. With the cooperation of the Government of India, work is being done rapidly on many railway projects in the state. Also, preparations are underway to expand many projects. The 295 km long Dongargarh-Kawardha-Katghora rail line project with an estimated cost of Rs 4021 crore has been approved by the Railway Ministry. For this, Rs 300 crore has been sanctioned for land acquisition and initial construction work. In this rail line, 12 stations will be constructed between Dongargarh and Kawardha and 15 stations between Kawardha and Katghora. This project will not only increase passenger facilities in the region, but will also provide new opportunities for transportation of minerals and employment.
Many new rail projects are being worked on to strengthen the state’s infrastructure and increase connectivity. Rs 16 crore 75 lakh has been sanctioned for the survey and DPR of the 180 km long Korba-Ambikapur new rail line. This project will give new impetus to the development of Surguja region. Rs 12.25 crore has also been sanctioned for the survey of the 490 km long rail line from Gadchiroli-Bijapur-Bacheli. This project will help connect remote areas with better education, health and employment opportunities.
The 37 km double line project between Sardega-Bhalumuda will improve connectivity between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. A provision of Rs 1360 crore has been made for this. DPR of Ambikapur-Barwadih, Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Parmalkasa, Raoghat-Jagdalpur and Dharamjaigarh-Pathalgaon-Lohardaga rail projects is also being prepared in Chhattisgarh. The survey work being done by the Railways for the Dharamjaigarh-Lohardaga project is in the final stage. The expanded rail network in Chhattisgarh will not only increase passenger connectivity but will also facilitate transportation of industrial and mineral resources. Along with ambitious rail projects, many small rail lines and multi-tracking projects are also planned in the state. These will strengthen regional development and supply chain.
