Important railway project approved in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Chhattisgarh’s development will get new momentum
Raipur, 4 April 2025: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved four important multi-tracking projects of Indian Railways, with a total cost of about Rs 18,658 crore. Through these projects, there will be a significant increase of 1247 km in the railway network, connecting a total of 15 districts of Maharashtra and Odisha including Chhattisgarh. The ‘Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Parmalkasa 5th and 6th Line’ project approved specifically for Chhattisgarh will create the possibilities of a historic change in the industrial map of the state. This project will provide direct railway connectivity to areas like Baloda Bazar, creating infrastructure for cement plants, steel units and other industrial investments. This route will bring revolutionary improvements in the transportation of materials like agricultural products, fertilizers, coal, iron ore, steel, cement and limestone. This will reduce the cost of freight, increase the speed of operation and provide uninterrupted supply chain to industries.
Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai said that this historic rail project received by Chhattisgarh under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a concrete step towards the creation of a self-reliant India. Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Parmalkasa line is connecting Baloda Bazar and surrounding areas to the railway network, which will open new doors of employment and self-employment for the youth here. This project will write a new chapter in Chhattisgarh, which will not only accelerate production and transportation in areas like coal, cement and iron ore, but will also ensure regional economic empowerment. He said that we are grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he has worked to bring the state on the ‘fast track of development’ through rail projects by recognizing the need and potential of Chhattisgarh. It is noteworthy that an ambitious project of ₹8,741 crore has been approved for laying the 5th and 6th new railway line from Kharsia to Parmalkasa, which will give Chhattisgarh a big boost in the field of logistics and industrial activities.
Key Features Total Length: 278 km long railway line, 615 km track length Number of Stations: 21 Bridges and Flyovers: 48 big bridges, 349 small bridges, 14 ROBs, 184 RUBs, 5 rail flyovers Traffic Capacity: 21 to 38 million tonnes of cargo, 8 mail/express/semi high-speed trains Fuel and Environment Conservation: Saving of 22 crore liters of diesel Reduction of 113 crore kg of CO2 per year – This is equivalent to planting about 4.5 crore trees. Substantial reduction in logistics cost: Saving of ₹2,520 crore per year compared to road transport Direct benefits to these districts: Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa, Sakti, Bilaspur, Baloda Bazar, Raipur, Durg and Rajnandgaon. New era of progress for the state This project will accelerate industrial and business activities in Chhattisgarh. This initiative will give a new dimension to environmental sustainability and transport infrastructure.