Raipur, Sep 26 The 95 kilometre Dallirajhara-Rowghat rail project in Chhattisgarh has been completed with the laying of tracks in the final 17.5-km stretch between Tadoki and Rowghat, officials said on Saturday.
The project will provide passenger rail connectivity to remote areas and facilitate transportation of iron ore from Rowghat mines, located in what was formerly a Maoist stronghold in north Bastar, they said.
Two battalions of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) were deployed exclusively for more than a decade to protect the project from Naxal threats, the officials pointed out.
“The final stretch of 17.5-km from Tadoki to Rowghat under the 95-km Dallirajhara-Rowghat route has been completed. It underwent inspection and speed trials by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) on September 22,” Raipur railway division senior publicity inspector Shiv Prasad told PTI.
At present, passenger train services are available between Dallirajhara and Tadoki, covering 77.5 km of the route, while operations on the newly completed Tadoki-Rowghat section will commence after completion of prescribed safety and operational formalities, he added.
The section is a single-line, electrified broad-gauge railway stretch, he said. The Dallirajhara-Rowghat section is part of the 240-km Dallirajhara-Rowghat-Jagdalpur railway project, which is a joint venture between Chhattisgarh government, National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Railways, Prasad added.
The project received in-principle approval in 1993, while construction began in 2010-11. In 2008, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) was entrusted with the construction of the first phase, covering Dallirajhara in Balod district and Rowghat in Kanker district, he said.
“Around 95 km of railway line was constructed under the first phase, with Rowghat now set to be the terminal station of this phase. The railway line will improve connectivity to Raipur, Bhilai and other parts of Chhattisgarh and provide surrounding communities with better access to education, healthcare and employment,” Prasad said.
It will facilitate transportation of agricultural produce and local commercial goods, along with iron ore to SAIL’s Bhilai Steel Plant in Durg district, he informed.
The completion of the section is a significant achievement in the development journey of south Chhattisgarh, particularly Bastar region, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said while expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In an official statement, Sai said the line reaching Rowghat was not merely an expansion of rail connectivity but a major step towards expanding development and economic activities in remote areas.
“Under Modi’s leadership, railway infrastructure expansion in Chhattisgarh has gained unprecedented momentum. Coordinated efforts by the Centre and state government are helping connect remote areas with modern infrastructure. Extending rail connectivity from Dallirajhara to Rowghat will bring significant changes to the social and economic life of the region,” the CM said.
Better rail connectivity would make travel easier for residents to state capital Raipur and other parts of the country, while also improving access to education, healthcare, employment and trade opportunities, he said.
The Dallirajhara-Rowghat new rail line project is under Raipur division of South East Central Railway. Upon completion of the project up to Jagdalpur, Narayanpur and Kondagaon, the Bastar region will be directly connected to Raipur via Durg and other major cities of Chhattisgarh.
(PTI News)
