Rewa-Pune, Jabalpur-Raipur and Gwalior-KSR Bengaluru train services to begin in 2 months: Vaishnaw

Bhopal, May 29 (PTI) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said three new train services will start in the next two months from Madhya Pradesh to Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka.

These services are Rewa-Pune, Jabalpur-Raipur and Gwalior-KSR Bengaluru City, he told reporters during an online interaction from New Delhi.

The Rewa-Pune service via Satna will make travel easier for students and their families to Maharashtra's second largest city, which is also a major hub for higher education, he said.

The service from Jabalpur to Chhattisgarh capital Raipur via Nainpur station in Mandla district and Gondia in neighbouring Maharashtra will improve connectivity between tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the Union minister pointed out.

It will promote trade and tourism between the two states, create new employment opportunities, and contribute to the region's economic development, Vaishnaw added.

"The third train will run from Gwalior in MP to KSR Bengaluru City in Karnataka via Guna and Bhopal. These three new trains will start operating in the next two months," the minister told reporters.

A day after the Ratlam-Nagda third and fourth line projects (at an estimated cost of Rs 1,018 crore) were approved, he said projects costing Rs 1.01 lakh crore are currently underway in MP, which is 28 times more than that during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The UPA was in power from 2004 to 2014.

"Every ongoing project in the MP is on fast track. Many of them will be completed in 2025. A project like Ratlam-Nagda third and fourth line usually takes four years to complete, but it will be finished ahead of schedule. The Ratlam-Nagda third and fourth lines project will ensure smooth and faster transportation of passengers and goods," he said.

The event was also attended by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, several members of his cabinet, Bhopal Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) and other senior railway officials.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Ratlam-Nagda 3rd and 4th line and Wardha-Balharshah 4th line projects a day earlier.

"The total estimated cost of the projects is Rs 3,399 crore (approx.) and will be completed up to 2029-30. The two projects covering four districts across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 176 kilometres. The proposed multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to around 784 villages with a population of 19.74 lakh," a government statement said. PTI LAL BNM