Rowghat in Chhattisgarh is set to receive passenger rail connectivity for the first time since Independence on Tuesday, with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw scheduled to inaugurate the Tadoki-Rowghat broad gauge line and flag off a new Rowghat-Raipur passenger service.
The programme will also cover the inauguration of the Abhanpur-Kurud broad gauge line and the launch of a Raipur-Kurud passenger service. Vaishnaw is scheduled to join the event virtually, while Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai will be present. The foundation stone for an electric locomotive maintenance facility in Raipur will also be laid.
The 95-km Dallirajhara-Rowghat railway line has been built at a cost of Rs 1,628 crore. The project reached completion with the commissioning of the 17.5-km Tadoki-Rowghat section, extending the railway network into a remote part of south Chhattisgarh.
The new Rowghat-Raipur service is expected to provide a direct rail connection between the region and the state capital. Students, working professionals, traders, farmers and other passengers are expected to gain an additional transport option for travel related to education, healthcare, employment, business and tourism.
The railway extension also has an industrial role. The Rowghat region is associated with iron ore transportation, and the line is expected to support the requirements of the Bhilai Steel Plant and the wider steel industry. The project is also expected to facilitate commercial activity and improve the movement of agricultural produce to larger markets.
A separate rail expansion is taking place in the Abhanpur-Dhamtari corridor. Passenger services have already started on the completed Abhanpur-Rajim section under the Kendri-Dhamtari and Abhanpur-Rajim gauge conversion projects. Gauge conversion on the 22-km Abhanpur-Kurud section under the Abhanpur-Dhamtari project has been completed, while work on the remaining Kurud-Dhamtari section is in progress.
The Abhanpur-Kurud service will improve rail access to Raipur and is expected to support daily commuting, trade and regional economic activity. The two new passenger services are intended to strengthen links between rural areas and the state capital, where residents access larger markets and essential services.
The planned electric locomotive maintenance facility in Raipur will add another layer to the railway investment. Once developed, it is expected to have the capacity to maintain 300 high-horsepower electric locomotives. According to the report, the facility is intended to improve locomotive availability and support railway operations, including the movement of freight.
The inauguration and train flag-off programme will establish the next operational milestone for the Rowghat and Abhanpur-Kurud projects. The remaining Kurud-Dhamtari gauge conversion work is expected to be completed soon, according to the supplied report.
