Rewa-Churhat, Satna-Devendranagar Rail Lines Open in Madhya Pradesh

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, joining by video link, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav opened two new rail sections in the state’s Vindhya region on Saturday, 24 October: the 53-km Satna–Devendranagar line and the 65-km Rewa–Churhat line. The Railway Ministry said the lines complete two stretches of the Lalitpur–Singrauli project, and a new Devendranagar–Churhat passenger service was flagged off from Nagod and Churhat stations.

Sidhi Gets a Rail Link to Rewa

The Rewa–Churhat section connects Sidhi district to Rewa, the region’s centre for colleges, hospitals and trade. According to the ministry, the lines will carry passengers and freight, including limestone, cement and clinker from the area. Yadav called the openings a Diwali gift to residents and said rail “provides farmers access to markets for their produce.”

Rs 1,943 Crore on Two Sections

The Satna–Devendranagar section cost roughly Rs 873 crore, and the last 8 km, between Phulwari and Devendranagar, completed it. The Rewa–Churhat section cost roughly Rs 1,070 crore, with the final 22.5 km between Rampur Naikin and Churhat finishing the job. Both belong to the 541-km Lalitpur–Singrauli line, which will serve Lalitpur, Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Rewa, Sidhi and Singrauli and link Uttar Pradesh with Madhya Pradesh.

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Yadav said railway projects worth about Rs 1.15 lakh crore have been sanctioned for the state. The ministry’s release lists the Lalitpur–Singrauli, Satna–Rewa, Katni–Singrauli and Indore–Manmad lines among those under way, and about 80 stations are in line for redevelopment, including Khajuraho, Orchha and Chhindwara.

More Trains Planned, Saplings for Felled Trees

The ministry said more than 100 long-distance trains and 50 to 60 short-distance services, such as MEMU and intercity trains, may start in the coming years. For trees cut near Anna, more saplings are to be planted, and officials were told to check how many survive. Yadav also said the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga–Khandwa line is close to completion. The release gives no date for the rest of the Lalitpur–Singrauli stretch.

Related: Rs 2,387 crore Narmada–Jhabua irrigation project and MP Semiconductor Summit in Indore; more in Daily Updates.

Source: PIB release, Ministry of Railways. Also based on reporting by Free Press Journal (IANS) and All India Radio News.

Image: IANS.