Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The ministry of railways has set a target of completing the new 204-kilometre-long Indore-Dahod broad-gauge line project by 2024. Out of the 204 kilometres, the railway line has been commissioned on 21 kilometres and has become operational from Indore to Tehi via Rau.
The project of the new broad gauge line between Dahod and Indore via Sardarpur-Jhabua and Dhar (204.76 kilometres) was put on hold in May 2020. In the past month, the Railway Board de-freezed the project. With this, the project has now been speeded up and will ultimately benefit the larger public by easing connectivity with the city and bring socio-economic developments in the area.
Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of the Western Railway, said the Railway Board had sanctioned the project in fiscal 2007-’08 at an abstract cost of Rs 678.56 crore. A detailed estimate amounting to Rs 1,640.04 crore was sanctioned by the Railway Board in June 2012. The total length of the project is 204.76 kilometres, of which 21 kilometres are in Gujarat and the remaining 183.76 kilometres are in Madhya Pradesh. Subsequently, the work on two sections of the project—Indore-Rau (12 kilometres) and Rau-Tihi (9 kilometres)—was completed and commissioned in June 2016 and March 2017.
Thakur said that, when the project was kept on hold, various civil engineering works, such as construction of embankments, major and minor bridges and tunnels, were in progress. At present, land acquisition work has been completed up to Sardarpur of Dhar district, that is, for the route of 106.46 kilometres from Indore and of 23.6 kilometres from Jhabua to Dahod. Tenders are under preparation for balance works between Tihi and Dhar (46.6 km) and are targeted to open the whole Indore-Dahod new railway line for train operation by June 2024.
‘Alternative route’
‘The project will provide an alternative route between Indore and Vadodara, decongesting traffic on the busy Rajdhani route between Nagda and Dahod. Being a primarily tribal area, it’ll bring multi-dimensional development for the people in the area. The nearby town of Pithampur serves as an industrial area for the city. With the completion of the project, direct connectivity will be established with Mumbai. The project serves one district of Gujarat (Dahod) and three districts of Madhya Pradesh (Jhabua, Dhar and Indore)’ — Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer, Western Railway
