Bastar’s Development Gets a Boost: Dalli–Rajhara–Rowghat Rail Project to be Completed by December 2025

Raipur, Aug 2025:The Dalli–Rajhara–Rowghat railway project, which will provide strong rail connectivity to the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, is progressing rapidly and is expected to be completed by December 2025. The 95-kilometre-long project includes a 77.5 km section from Taroki to Rowghat, where utility shifting is 100% complete. Major and minor bridge construction and track laying are in their final stages, marking significant progress towards the project’s completion.

Once operational, Bastar will, for the first time, be directly connected to the state capital by rail, improving travel convenience and accelerating mineral transportation. The connectivity is expected to bring a major socio-economic transformation to the region, raising living standards for local residents.

The line will link the Rowghat iron ore mines directly with the SAIL/Bhilai Steel Plant, addressing the declining ore availability from Dalli–Rajhara mines and serving as a backbone for regional industrial growth. Land acquisition for 17.5 km has been completed, with most of the 21.94 lakh cubic metres of earthwork finished. Two of the three major bridges and 55 of the 61 minor bridges on the section are ready. Ballast procurement and building works are expected to be completed by August–September 2025.

The entire route includes 16 major bridges, 19 road overbridges, 45 road underbridges, and 176 minor bridges, built with high technical precision and safety standards. The Taroki–Rowghat segment alone features 3 major bridges, 5 road overbridges, 7 road underbridges, and 49 minor bridges.

Construction has faced challenges due to left-wing extremism in the area, with 12 attacks by Naxalites causing the deaths of 4 workers and 2 security personnel, along with damage to equipment. However, after SSB security deployment, progress accelerated significantly. Upon completion, the railway will revolutionise mineral transport, create jobs, boost local trade, and integrate Bastar into the economic mainstream, encouraging investment and infrastructure growth.

Train operations on the Taroki–Rowghat section are expected to begin by December 2025, marking a new chapter in Bastar’s development journey—where trains will carry not just minerals and goods, but also the promise of employment, opportunity, and progress.