Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday inaugurated the Tadoki-Rowghat and Abhanpur-Kurud broad gauge railway lines and flagged off passenger services connecting Raipur with Rowghat and Kurud. The new links are expected to improve transport access in the Bastar region and support economic and social development.

The inauguration also marked the start of train operations from Raipur to Rowghat and the extension of services from Raipur to Kurud. Sai said the services would address a long-standing demand for rail connectivity between Raipur, Rowghat and Jagdalpur, while extending the benefits of rail infrastructure to remote and tribal areas.

The chief minister said improved connectivity would strengthen trade and commerce and provide better access to healthcare and education. He added that the expansion of the rail network would create opportunities in industry, tourism and employment, while helping extend development to the state's farthest areas.

A foundation stone was also laid for an electric locomotive maintenance facility in Raipur. Sai said work was continuing on the railway line from Raipur to Kurud and onwards to Dhamtari, with services between Raipur and Dhamtari to be made available to the public in the near future.

Sai said the new infrastructure had been inaugurated during Vijayadashami and acknowledged the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. He said the state's railway allocation had risen from Rs. 3 bn previously to Rs. 75 bn, representing a 24-fold increase. The chief minister described the rail projects as important milestones in expanding connectivity and modernising Chhattisgarh's infrastructure.