Due to the special initiative of the Prime Minister, the scope of railway services has increased in the entire state including Bastar: Chief Minister Say

Raipur-Jabalpur new express train service inaugurated with great pomp

Chief Minister and Assembly Speaker flagged off Raipur-Jabalpur new rail service

Comfortable journey from Raipur to Jabalpur will be completed in 08 hours

Connectivity will increase between Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh

Railway budget increased 21 times in the last decade, 32 stations are being renovated

Rail projects worth more than Rs 47 thousand crores are being operated in Chhattisgarh

Tourism, trade and education will get a boost from Raipur-Jabalpur train

Raipur, 03 August 2025: Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai and Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh today flagged off the Raipur-Jabalpur new express train from the capital Raipur railway station and congratulated the people of the state for the new service. On the special occasion of the launch, Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnav and Mansukh Mandaviya and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav were virtually present from the main function organized in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. In the main ceremony, Rewa-Pune (Hadapsar) Express and Bhavnagar Terminus-Ayodhya Express were also inaugurated from Rewa and Bhavnagar. Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai said that three new train services have been inaugurated today due to the special initiative of our country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Chhattisgarh has also got a big gift of Raipur-Jabalpur new train service. He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and Railway Minister on behalf of the 3 crore people of the state for the new rail service. The Chief Minister said that in the last decade, Chhattisgarh’s railway budget has increased 21 times and this year an amount of 6 thousand 900 crores has been received. Sai said that rail projects worth more than Rs 47 thousand crores are being operated in Chhattisgarh, which will take the railway network and passenger facilities in Chhattisgarh to new heights.

The Chief Minister said that under the Amrit Bharat Station Yojana, 32 railway stations of Chhattisgarh are being completely transformed along with making them fully equipped at a cost of Rs 680 crore. The Chief Minister said that our Bastar region is suffering from Naxalism and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the gift of new rail projects there too. He expressed special gratitude for the fact that our Chhattisgarh has also received other important rail projects including the Raoghat-Jagdalpur rail project. Sai said that getting an alternative rail service from Raipur to Jabalpur will promote tourism, educational activities as well as business. With the new rail service, major centers of faith and tourism of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh like Dongargarh, the land of Maa Bamleshwari and Bhedaghat will be directly connected to these big cities. Former Chief Minister and Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh described the launch of Raipur-Jabalpur Express as historic and said that this rail service will become a powerful medium of better connectivity between Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. He said that this train will cover the distance of about 410 km from Raipur to Jabalpur in just 8 hours. Dr. Singh said that the passengers of the state will now be able to travel to Gondia, Balaghat and Jabalpur with ease and this will also give impetus to regional trade and tourism. He said that through the ‘Amrit Bharat Station Yojana’, 32 stations of the state are being redeveloped and passenger facilities are continuously increasing in big stations like Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg. Congratulating for the new connectivity, he said that certainly in the coming years, the railway network of Chhattisgarh will expand more strongly.

On this occasion, MP Brijmohan Agarwal, MLA Motilal Sahu, MLA Purandar Mishra, General Manager South East Central Railway Tarun Prakash, DRM Raipur Dayanand and a large number of people were present. It is worth noting that this new express train service is connecting the three states of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. This train will provide a fast, alternative and easy route to the passengers between Raipur, Gondia and Jabalpur. This new service will not only provide a comfortable journey to the passengers, but it will also prove to be extremely beneficial from the point of view of business, education and tourism. Railway officials said that under the regular service, train number 11701 will depart from Raipur at 2:45 pm and reach Jabalpur at 10:45 pm. On the return journey, train number 11702 will depart from Jabalpur at 6:00 am and reach Raipur at 1:50 pm. This train will have a total of 15 coaches, including one AC chair car, four chair cars, eight general coaches, one power car and one SLRD coach. This service will be very useful for businessmen, students, tourists and daily commuters. Cities like Raipur, Dongargarh, Balaghat, Nainpur and Jabalpur are rich in cultural, historical and natural importance. Access to tourist places like Nandanvan Zoological Park, Maa Bamleshwari Temple, Kanha National Park, Bhedaghat and Dhuandhar Waterfall will now be easier. By starting this new rail service, South East Central Railway has taken an important step towards making travel more accessible, safe and convenient for passengers. This service will strengthen regional connectivity and give impetus to the local economy.