Raipur, August 03, 2025 // Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai and Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh today flagged off the Raipur-Jabalpur New Express train from Raipur Railway Station and extended their best wishes to the people of the state for the new service. On the special occasion of the launch, Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnav and Mansukh Mandaviya and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav were virtually present from the main function held in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. In the main function, Rewa-Pune (Hadapsar) Express and Bhavnagar Terminus-Ayodhya Express were also launched from Rewa and Bhavnagar.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai said that today three new train services have been launched with the special initiative of our country’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnav and Chhattisgarh has also received a big gift of Raipur-Jabalpur new train service. He expressed his 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 the railway budget of Chhattisgarh has increased 21 times in the last decade and this year an amount of 6 thousand 900 crore has been received. Shri Sai said that more than 47 thousand crore rupees of rail projects 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 scheme, 32 railway stations of Chhattisgarh are being completely revamped with state-of-the-art facilities at a cost of 680 crore. The Chief Minister said that our Bastar region is suffering from Naxalism and there also Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given the gift of new rail projects. He also specially expressed his gratitude for the Raoghat-Jagdalpur rail project and other important rail projects that have been received by our Chhattisgarh. Shri Sai said that the alternative rail service from Raipur to Jabalpur will promote tourism, educational activities as well as trade.
With the new rail service, major centers of faith and tourism of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh like Maa Bamleshwari’s land Dongargarh and Bhedaghat will be able to connect directly to these big cities.
Former Chief Minister and Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh, while calling the launch of the Raipur-Jabalpur Express historic, said that this rail service will become a strong medium of better connectivity between Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. He said that this train will cover a distance of approximately 410 kilometers 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 boost 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. He congratulated for the new connectivity and said that definitely in the coming years, the railway network of Chhattisgarh will expand more strongly.
On this occasion, MP Shri Brijmohan Agarwal, MLA Shri Motilal Sahu, MLA Shri Purandar Mishra, General Manager South East Central Railway Shri Tarun Prakash, DRM Raipur Shri Dayanand and a large number of people were present.
It is noteworthy that this new express train service is connecting three states, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. This train will provide passengers with a fast, alternative and convenient route between Raipur, Gondia and Jabalpur. With this new service, not only will the passengers get a comfortable journey, but it will also prove to be extremely beneficial from the point of view of trade, education and tourism. Railway officials said that under the regular service, train number 11701 will depart from Raipur at 2:45 pm and will reach Jabalpur at 10:45 pm. At the same time, on the return journey, train number 11702 will depart from Jabalpur at 6:00 am and will reach Raipur at 1:50 pm. There will be a total of 15 coaches in this train, including one AC chair car, four chair cars, eight general coaches, one power car and one SLR (Second Luggage cum Railway coach) coach. This service will be very useful for traders, students, tourists and daily passengers. Cities like Raipur, Dongargarh, Balaghat, Nainpur and Jabalpur are rich in cultural, historical and natural significance. Reaching tourist places like Nandanvan Zoological Park, Maa Bamleshwari Temple, Kanha National Park, Bhedaghat and Dhuandhar Falls will now be easier. South East Central Railway has taken an important step in the direction of making the journey more accessible, safe and convenient for the passengers by starting this new rail service. This service will strengthen regional connectivity and boost the local economy.
Rail services expand across the state including Bastar due to the special initiative of the Prime Minister: Chief Minister Shri Sai
