The Indian Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced the budget allocation for various railway zones across India via a video conference after the presentation of the interim budget. Chhattisgarh received a significant budget allocation of 6,896 crores, which is a significant increase from the previous year's allocation of 6,008 crores. This will...
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accelerate ongoing projects like the fourth railway line between Jharsuguda and Bilaspur, the doubling of lines, and the development of stations. 32 stations in the zone are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Yojana, with 1,665 crores dedicated to this initiative. Major stations like Bilaspur, Raipur, and Durg are being planned to be upgraded with world-class facilities. The budget increase signifies a focus on expanding rail infrastructure and improving passenger facilities.

The railway has laid 21 kilometers of track in Naya Raipur, but the previous Congress government failed to construct a station during its five-year term, delaying train operations until 2023. However, the current BJP government has revived hopes for train services in Naya Raipur. The Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA) has...
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been instructed to expedite the construction of four railway stations: Atalnagar, Udyog Nagar, CBD, and Muktangam. The project includes a smart station and three regular stations, with construction 40-50% complete. The NRDA chief engineer expects train services to commence by Diwali 2024. The track is designed with long rail patches to minimize jerks during travel. The track was tested in February 2023, and the line can handle trains running at 120 kilometers per hour. Budgetary constraints and tender cancellations have been blamed for construction delays, which also hampered the planned inauguration before the state assembly elections. The 21-kilometer line from Naya Raipur to Mandir Hasaud was completed in October 2023. A survey has been conducted for running MEMU trains from Raipur to Kendri.