Chhattisgarh set for rail revamp, Rs 47,000 crore investment to transform infrastructure
Raipur, June 27 (UNI) In a transformative push for infrastructure and economic development, Chhattisgarh is witnessing an unprecedented rail expansion, with Rs 47,000 crore worth of railway projects currently underway.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and with robust support from the Centre, the state's rail network is expected to double by 2030, from 1,100 route km laid over 161 years to 2,200 route km in just 16 years.
The Union Budget 2025–26 earmarked Rs 6,925 crore for railway development in Chhattisgarh. Two new Vande Bharat trains, Raipur to Visakhapatnam and Raipur to Nagpur, have already been inaugurated. Additionally, surveys for a metro system in Raipur have reached advanced stages.
Among key ongoing projects are the Bilaspur-Jharsuguda fourth line (Rs 2,135 crore), Kharsia-Dharamjaigarh line (Rs3,438 crore), and the Gharghoda-Dharamjaygarh line. In tribal-dominated Bastar, the newly sanctioned 140-km Raoghat–Jagdalpur rail line (Rs3,513 crore) is set to bring remote areas into the economic mainstream. Officials believe this will also play a pivotal role in countering Maoist influence through improved mobility and access.
Parallel to expansion, 32 stations are being upgraded under the Amrit Bharat Station scheme at a cost of Rs 1,680 crore. Notable revamps include Bilaspur (Rs 435 crore), Raipur (Rs 463 crore), and Durg (Rs 456 crore). Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated redeveloped stations at Ambikapur, Bhilai, Bhanupratappur, Dongargarh and Urkura.
The state government has also allocated Rs 300 crore through the Chhattisgarh Railway Corporation for the Katghora–Dongargarh rail line, expected to ease freight load on the Nagpur-Jharsuguda corridor.
Final location surveys are nearing completion for several strategic corridors including Ambikapur–Barwadih and Sardegha–Bhalumara. Once implemented, these lines will open new avenues for regional integration, trade and industrial growth, particularly in previously rail-deprived districts like Sukma, Dantewada, and Bijapur. UNI XC SSP
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