Railway Minister Announces 3 New Trains for Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh is set to receive the gift of three new trains in the next two months. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made this announcement on May 28 via video conferencing, joined virtually by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav.
New Train Details
- The first train will run from Gwalior to Bengaluru and will have a stop at Bhopal. This route had been a long-standing demand by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
- The second train will connect Rewa to Pune.
- The third train will operate between Jabalpur and Raipur, reducing the travel distance by 103 km to 411 km and saving 2 hours of journey time.
Vaishnaw noted that the conversion of the Gondia-Jabalpur line to broad gauge has accelerated development in the region. A second rail line is also proposed between Gondia and Jabalpur. This would allow trains from South India to bypass Nagpur and instead travel via Chandrapur-Wardha-Gondia-Jabalpur en route to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Major Railway Projects in Madhya Pradesh
- Bhopal–Ramganj Mandi Rail Line: To be completed by 2026; will enhance MP-Rajasthan connectivity.
- Manmad–Indore New Rail Line: 309 km long; ₹18,036 crore cost. Will connect Indore, Dhar, Khargone, Barwani with Nashik and Dhule in Maharashtra.
- Bhusawal–Khandwa 3rd & 4th Line: 131 km; ₹3,514 crore. Will double freight capacity.
- Prayagraj–Manikpur 3rd Line: 84 km; ₹1,640 crore. Will enhance connectivity from Rewa to Prayagraj and Chitrakoot.
- Ratlam–Nagda 3rd & 4th Line: 41 km; ₹1,018 crore. Will improve access to western coastal ports like Kandla, Mundra, Pipavav, reducing usage rate from 116% to 65%.
Special Demand for Ujjain
Chief Minister Yadav requested direct rail connectivity of Ujjain with the Delhi-Mumbai route in view of the upcoming Simhastha festival. He highlighted that trains from Delhi to Ujjain currently stop at Nagda for engine shifting, causing a 30-minute delay.