Kumar Bahukhandi
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressing his happiness saying “It is a matter of great joy for the people of Chhattisgarh that a new train service for Jabalpur has started. For this, on behalf of the three crore people of Chhattisgarh, I thank our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw”.-Photo Credit -CG/PR
In Short
*Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai flagged off the much-awaited Raipur-Jabalpur Express
*Raipur-Jabalpur Express Flagged Off with Grand Ceremony
*Comfortable 8-Hour Journey Between Raipur and Jabalpur Begins
*Connectivity Boost Between Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh
*21-Fold Increase in Railway Budget Over a Decade; 32 Stations Being Upgraded
*Rail Projects Worth ₹47,000 Cr Underway in Chhattisgarh
*New Service to Boost Tourism, Trade & Education
Raipur: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh on Sunday August 3, 2025 flagged off the Raipur-Jabalpur new express train from the capital Raipur ,Railway Station and wished the people of the state for the new service. On the special occasion of the inauguration, Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnav and Mansukh Mandaviya and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav were virtually present at the main function organised in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.
In the main function, Rewa-Pune (Hadapsar) Express and Bhavnagar Terminus-Ayodhya Express were also inaugurated from Rewa and Bhavnagar.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai flagging off Raipur -Jablapur new express train on Sunday August 3, 2025 from Raipur Railway Station -Photo Credit-CG/PR
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that with the special initiative of our country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, three new train services have been started today and in this Chhattisgarh has also got a gift of Raipur-Jabalpur new train service.
The Chief Minister said that in the last decade, the railway budget of Chhattisgarh has increased 21 times and this year an amount of 6 thousand 900 crores has been received. CM Sai said that rail projects worth more than Rs 47 thousand crores are being operated in Chhattisgarh, which will take the railway network and passenger facilities to new heights in Chhattisgarh.
The Chief Minister said that under the Amrit Bharat Station Yojana, 32 railway stations of Chhattisgarh are being completely transformed along with making them fully equipped at a cost of 680 crores. The Chief Minister said that our Bastar region is suffering from Naxalism and there too Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the gift of new rail projects.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai thanked PM Modi for getting other important rail projects including Raoghat-Jagdalpur rail project. Sai said that getting an alternative rail service from Raipur to Jabalpur will promote tourism, educational activities as well as business.
With the new train service, major centers of pilgrimage and tourism of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh like Dongargarh, the land of Maa Bamleshwari and Bhedaghat will be directly connected to these big cities.
Former Chief Minister and Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh described the launch of Raipur-Jabalpur Express as historic and said that this rail service will become a powerful medium of better connectivity between Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai (C) Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh(L) , MLA Purandar Mishra(R) at Raipur Railway Station connected with main function organised in Bhavnagar, Gujarat-Photo Credit-CG/PR
Dr. Singh aid that this train will cover the distance of about 410 km 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 give impetus to 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. Congratulating for the new connectivity, he said that certainly in the coming years, the railway network of Chhattisgarh will expand more strongly.
On this occasion, MP Brijmohan Agarwal, MLA Motilal Sahu, MLA Purandar Mishra, General Manager South East Central Railway Tarun Prakash, DRM Raipur Dayanand and a large number of people were present.
It is worth mentioning that this new express train service is connecting the three states of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. This train will provide a fast, alternative and easy route to the passengers between Raipur, Gondia and Jabalpur.
This new service will not only provide a comfortable journey to the passengers, but it will also prove to be extremely beneficial from the point of view of business, education and tourism.
Railway officials said that under the regular service, train number 11701 will depart from Raipur at 2:45 pm and reach Jabalpur at 10:45 pm. On the return journey, train number 11702 will depart from Jabalpur at 6:00 am and reach Raipur at 1:50 pm. This train will have a total of 15 coaches, including one AC chair car, four chair cars, eight general coaches, one power car and one SLRD coach.
This service will be very useful for businessmen, students, tourists and daily commuters. Cities like Raipur, Dongargarh, Balaghat, Nainpur and Jabalpur are rich in cultural, historical and natural importance. Access to tourist places like Nandanvan Zoological Park, Maa Bamleshwari Temple, Kanha National Park, Bhedaghat and Dhuandhar Waterfall will now be easier.
By starting this new rail service, South East Central Railway has taken an important step towards making travel more accessible, safe and convenient for passengers. This service will strengthen regional connectivity and give impetus to the local economy.
