95 km of new track: the Rowghat rail line reaches its end

Note dated 23 Oct 2026

Where. Kanker and Narayanpur districts of Chhattisgarh, in the forested hill country south of Raipur, between the mining town of Dalli Rajhara and Rowghat.

What. The final stretch of this new broad-gauge line, from Taroki to Rowghat, is now open. It is a single-track, electrified route. In September the Commission of Railway Safety inspected it and ran a speed trial. On 20 October the state government reported that passenger trains had started, including a daily MEMU service between Rowghat and Raipur.

The number. The full line is 95 km long, and its last section adds 17.5 km. The state puts the cost at about Rs 1,628 crore. A 22 km gauge conversion between Abhanpur and Kurud opened at the same event.

Why it matters. Building track through hills and forest means deep cuttings, high embankments and many bridges, all on soil that changes from one kilometre to the next. When it is finished, a line like this does two jobs. It carries iron ore from the Rowghat mines to the steel plant at Bhilai, and it gives villages that had only rough roads a regular train to the state capital.

Sources: PIB, Ministry of Railways, 23 Sep 2026, pib.gov.in; Government of Chhattisgarh, Directorate of Public Relations, 20 Oct 2026, dprcg.gov.in.