₹3,500 Crore Rail Project to Transform Bastar's Infrastructure

The Ministry of Railways has approved a major rail infrastructure project in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district — the construction of a new 140 km Rowghat–Jagdalpur railway line. The project, estimated at a cost of ₹3,513.11 crore, will be entirely funded through the Central budget.

Bastar, a historically underserved region in terms of rail connectivity, is currently linked only by a single line connecting Dantewada to Visakhapatnam, primarily used for transporting iron ore from NMDC mines. The new railway line will offer direct passenger and freight connectivity between Jagdalpur and Raipur, significantly improving access to central and northern India.

With land acquisition nearly complete, construction is set to begin soon. Once operational, the Rowghat–Jagdalpur line will connect Jagdalpur to Raipur via the existing Rowghat–Raipur line. It will also integrate Bastar into the Mumbai–Howrah rail corridor, enhancing its linkage to major cities in northern and western India and boosting economic and logistical development in the region.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.