New Railway Lines in Chhattisgarh

New Railway Lines in Chhattisgarh

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2602

ANSWERED ON: 10.03.2025

New Railway Lines in Chhattisgarh

Gomati Sai
Chunni Lal Sahu

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: –

(a) The details of places where new railway line network has been laid during the last three years in Chhattisgarh and the schemes through which this has been done;
(b) Whether any scheme is being implemented by the Government to connect deprived areas with rail network and if so, the details thereof;
(c) Whether any proposal has been received / proposed from State Government of Chhattisgarh for construction of new railway line from Bagbahara (Mahasamund) to Bargarh via Pithora – Basna – Saraipali – Sohela, Raigarh and Jashpur areas and if so, the details thereof;
(d) If not, the reasons there for; and
(e) Whether the Government has considered on any scheme to connect the tourist and religious centers of Chhattisgarh via rail routes and if so, the details there of Rs.

ANSWER: MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMERCE & INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2602 BY SHRIMATI GOMATI SAI AND SHRI CHUNNI LAL SAHU TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 10.03.2021 REGARDING NEW RAILWAY LINES IN CHHATTISGARH

(a) Indian Railway projects are sanctioned / taken up Zonal Railway wise and Not State wise / Region wise, as Indian Railways’ network span across various State boundaries. However, during last three years and current year i.e. 2017 – 18, 2018 – 19, 2019 – 20 and 2020 – 21 (upto February 2021), 440 km of Railway Projects’ length (85 km New Line and 355 km doubling) falling fully / partly in Chhattisgarh have been commissioned.

(b) And (e) New Line Projects are considered on the basis of demands raised by State Governments, Central Ministries, Members of Parliament, other public representatives and Railways’ own requirements. They are taken up on the basis of remunerativeness, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes, augmentation of congested / saturated lines, socio – economic considerations etc. depending upon liabilities of ongoing projects, overall availability of funds and competing demands. This covers connectivity to backward and rural areas also.

As on 01.04.2025, 8 new rail line projects of total length 1358 km costing Rs.25,960 crore falling fully / partly in the State of Chhattisgarh including deprived area are in different stage of planning / sanction / execution, out of this 84 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of Rs.3,524 crore has been incurred upto March 2020. These projects in Chhattisgarh will improve connectivity to deprived areas including tourist and religious places falling en – route.

(c) And (d) Proposals / demands from State Governments, Central Ministries, Members of Parliament and other public representatives are received at various levels / forums including divisional / zonal / Railway Board level. As such no central compendium of proposals is maintained.

Mahasamund and Bargarh stations are already connected via Titlagarh. However, survey for new line from Mahasamund to Bargarh via Pithaura, Saraipalli (180.12 km) was completed in 2025 – 17. In view of no projected additional traffic, the project was found to be financially unviable and could not be taken forward.

Feasibility study of Nuapada – Bargarh rail line connecting Mahasamund – Titlagarh line to Bargarh has been taken up by Odisha Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (ORIDL), Joint Venture Company of Government of Odisha.

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Here’s a visual of Chhattisgarh’s railway network. Now, let’s dive into the major new railway projects currently underway or approved across the state:

Key New Railway Lines in Chhattisgarh (2025)

1. Kharsia–Naya Raipur–Parmalkasa Line

Length: ~278 km
Cost: ₹8,741–₹13,316 crore (reports vary)
Scope: Establishes a continuous route from Odisha to Maharashtra via Chhattisgarh, bypassing Bilaspur and Raipur. Connects Shivrinarayan pilgrimage site and cement-rich Baloda Bazar. Features include 21 stations, 48 major bridges, 349 minor bridges, 14 flyovers, and 184 underpasses.
Benefits: Evacuates 21–38 million tonnes of coal annually; saves ~22 crore litres of diesel, reducing costs by ₹2,500 crore.

2. Dalli Rajhara–Jagdalpur Line

Length: ~228.5 km
Status: Partially operational (Dalli Rajhara–Tadoki). The Tadoki–Rowghat section is under construction, while the Rowghat–Jagdalpur section has received approval (cost ~₹3,513 crore).
Impact: Aids development in Bastar, streamlining transport of iron ore and enhancing socio-economic access in tribal areas.

3. Dharamjaigarh–Pathalgaon–Lohardaga Line

Length: ~240 km
Cost: ~₹16,000 crore
Purpose: Connects North Chhattisgarh with Jharkhand, improving rail access from Korba to Ranchi and central India.

4. Ambikapur–Barwadih Line

Length: ~200 km
Cost: ₹9,000 crore
Significance: Connects Ambikapur to Barwadih (Jharkhand), offering an alternate corridor for mineral transport between eastern and western regions.

5. Korba–Ambikapur & Gadchiroli–Bacheli Surveys

Survey Sanctioned:
- Korba–Ambikapur: ~180 km
- Gadchiroli–Bacheli: ~490 km
Goal: Facilitate coal and mineral transport, especially from remote areas; surveys and DPRs are underway.

6. Kothagudem–Kirandul Line

Length: ~160 km (Telangana→Chhattisgarh)
Status: Final location survey nearing completion using LiDAR tools. The railway’s importance lies in connecting Sukma, Dantewada, and Bijapur—key Bastar districts.
Strategic Impact: Enhances connectivity and internal security in the Red Corridor.

7. Raipur–Dhamtari Branch Line (Narrow Gauge Conversion)

Status: A new survey has been approved for converting the former narrow-gauge Raipur–Dhamtari line (and extending it toward Kondagaon) into broad-gauge.

Summary Table

Project	Length	Cost Estimate	Status	Significance
Kharsia–Naya Raipur–Parmalkasa	278 km	₹8,700–13,300 Cr	Approved	Boost coal transport, shorter routes
Dalli Rajhara–Jagdalpur	228 km	₹3,513 Cr	Under Construction	Connectivity in Bastar, economic uplift
Dharamjaigarh–Lohardaga	240 km	₹16,000 Cr	Approved	Link North CG with Jharkhand
Ambikapur–Barwadih	200 km	₹9,000 Cr	Approved	Alternate mineral corridor
Korba–Ambikapur & Gadchiroli–Bacheli	180/490 km	N/A	Survey Phase	Open remote mineral routes
Kothagudem–Kirandul	160 km	N/A	Survey Almost Complete	Red Corridor immersion
Raipur–Dhamtari Gauge Conversion	Short Branch	N/A	Survey Approved	Reviving legacy routes

Would you like to see a project map, timelines, or help monitoring updates on a specific line? Let me know!