New train line brings hope and faster travel to remote parts of Chhattisgarh

A 12-carriage passenger train carrying about 30 passengers recently departed from the station at Rowghat in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, heading towards Dallirajhara around 100km away. The train stops at Tadoki, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, and Kewti along the route. Construction for the 95km Dallirajhara-Rowghatt railway line began in 2015, featuring 26 operational stations between Raipur and Rowghat. The 75km stretch up to Tadoki was completed in 2023, while the remaining portion was finished over the next three years. On October 20, 2026, state chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw officially inaugurated the railway line.

Passenger Impact

Students Anil Potai and Anjani Potai noted that the rail link drastically cuts travel time to Raipur compared to an all-day trip earlier. Farmer Kaushal Baghel stated the train makes medical care in Raipur much easier to access, avoiding an 8 to 10-hour bus journey. Station master MK Sahu noted that about 40 people board the train from Rowghat daily, with numbers touching 70 after services started. South East Central Railway divisional railway manager Dyanand reported that ₹1,628 crore was spent on the project, and between October 21 and 23, about 2,288 passengers travelled in both directions. A ticket from Rowghat to Raipur costs ₹55 for the 219km journey. The line serves over 150 villages and more than 100,000 people, mostly from tribal communities, while also strengthening iron ore supplies to the Bhilai Steel Plant.

Context

Rowghat station sits in Abujhmad, an area previously known as a stronghold of Left-wing extremism and Maoist activity. Security forces and armed camps now protect the route, following a sharp drop in violent incidents and multiple surrenders by cadres over recent years. Infrastructure projects like this railway are often introduced in remote and previously conflict-ridden regions to connect isolated populations with mainstream economic opportunities, education, and healthcare.