Raipur–Rawghat and Raipur–Kurud services launched; rail sections between Tadoki and Rawghat and Abhanpur and Kurud inaugurated
Raipur, October 2026: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday flagged off new passenger train services between Rawghat and Raipur and Raipur and Kurud from Raipur railway station. They also inaugurated the Tadoki–Rawghat and Abhanpur–Kurud rail sections and laid the foundation stone for a modern electric locomotive maintenance facility in Raipur.
The completion of the railway line between Tadoki and Rawghat has connected Rawghat to the rail network for the first time since Independence. The development is particularly significant for the remote and tribal areas of Bastar and southern Chhattisgarh, improving their connectivity with the state capital and other major centres.
The new services are expected to facilitate travel and provide a boost to trade, industry, education, healthcare, employment and the local economy.
Chief Minister Sai congratulated the people of Chhattisgarh, saying railway infrastructure development had gained unprecedented momentum under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the Centre and state governments were working together to extend modern rail facilities beyond major cities to remote and tribal regions, including Bastar and Surguja.
“Rail connectivity reaching Rawghat is not merely the completion of a railway project; it opens up new possibilities for the development of Bastar,” Sai said, adding that better connectivity would improve access to markets, encourage investment and create livelihood opportunities for young people.
₹54,000 crore worth of railway projects underway
Addressing the event, Vaishnaw said railway development projects worth approximately ₹54,000 crore were currently underway in Chhattisgarh. The state has been allocated ₹7,470 crore in the railway budget for the current year.
He said efforts were also underway to extend rail connectivity from Rawghat to Jagdalpur and explore further expansion along the Rawghat–Jagdalpur–Koraput–Visakhapatnam corridor. These developments would strengthen the connectivity of Bastar and southern Chhattisgarh with major railway networks and economic centres.
The Dalli Rajhara–Rawghat railway project, costing approximately ₹1,628 crore, spans around 95 kilometres. With the completion of the 17.5-kilometre section between Tadoki and Rawghat, rail connectivity has now reached Rawghat.
Broad-gauge connectivity towards Dhamtari
Under the Abhanpur–Dhamtari gauge-conversion project, approximately 22 kilometres of railway line between Abhanpur and Kurud has been converted to broad gauge. The launch of passenger services between Raipur and Kurud marks a significant step towards improving rail connectivity in the region.
Sai said the earlier narrow-gauge service between Raipur and Dhamtari was being replaced through the broad-gauge conversion process. Completion of the remaining work between Kurud and Dhamtari would facilitate the extension of rail services to Dhamtari.
1,328 kilometres of new tracks laid since 2014
Sai said approximately 1,328 kilometres of new railway tracks had been laid in Chhattisgarh since 2014. He noted that the state had received around ₹300 crore annually for railway development under the previous government, compared with the current allocation of more than ₹7,000 crore.
Work is also underway to modernise 32 railway stations in the state, eight of which have already been developed. The projects focus on improved passenger amenities, modern facilities and better station infrastructure.
Modern locomotive maintenance facility in Raipur
The foundation stone was laid for a state-of-the-art electric locomotive maintenance facility in Raipur. Once developed, it is expected to have the capacity to maintain 300 high-horsepower electric locomotives.
The facility is expected to strengthen maintenance infrastructure, improve railway operational capacity and support growing freight transportation requirements.
Sai also highlighted proposed railway projects, including Kharsia–Parmalakasa, Rawghat–Jagdalpur and Dongargarh–Katghora. He thanked the Prime Minister and the Railway Minister for supporting railway expansion in the state and for considering improved connectivity from Pathalgaon in Jashpur district towards the Lohardaga region under a special package.
The Chief Minister said expanding rail connectivity in remote and tribal areas would help students access education, patients reach healthcare facilities, farmers transport produce to larger markets and young people access employment opportunities.
He added that improved rail links would also promote tourism, trade and industrial development in Bastar, which he described as progressing towards a new phase of peace, confidence and development.
The event was attended by Raipur MP Brijmohan Agrawal, Mahasamund MP Roopkumari Choudhary, Rajya Sabha MP Laxmi Verma, Kanker MP Bhojraj Nag, legislators Rajesh Moonat, Motilal Sahu and Purandar Mishra, former MP and MLA Vikram Usendi, South East Central Railway General Manager Tarun Prakash, Divisional Railway Manager Dayanand and other public representatives and dignitaries.
