Centre approves doubling of 240-km Gondia-Balharshah railway line in Maharashtra

Under the new project, a second track will be added alongside the existing 240-km single line to allow trains to run simultaneously in both directions. This will ease congestion, reduce delays and significantly boost passenger and freight capacity on the corridor.

Announced by Vaishnaw at a press conference held jointly with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Gondia-Balharshah track doubling project is part of a bigger Rs 18,658-crore package approved by the Union Cabinet for four projects spanning more than 1,247 km of railway tracks in Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

“This project will be a gamechanger in terms of passenger and freight connectivity between north India and south India. The districts in the region through which the rail line passes will see speedy development,” Vaishnaw said.

The project also includes overall improvements, such as the construction of 36 major bridges, 338 minor bridges and 67 Road Under Bridges (RUBs), and the modernisation of 29 railway stations along the route. The corridor also passes close to important eco-tourism sites like Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary and Nawegaon National Park, providing an impetus to regional tourism potential.

Fadnavis welcomed the announcement as a “historic moment” for Vidarbha. “This project will greatly benefit the Vidarbha region and improve business relations with Madhya Pradesh and Telangana,” he said.

Fadnavis also announced introducing a new ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Circuit’ — a 10-day special rail tour connecting forts, cultural sites and historical places in Maharashtra. “This iconic circuit will provide tourists with a singular experience, linking them strongly with our heritage and history,” he added.

Vaishnaw said 132 railway stations in the state are in the process of redevelopment. Of them, 104 are nearing completion. “Redevelopment of railway stations has never been taken up anywhere in the world on such a large scale involving major as well as small stations. Like the Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana, we are developing smaller stations also. And all this is being done despite the services running uninterruptedly,” the minister said.

Referring to the strategic value of coastal connectivity, Fadnavis announced that attempts are being made to integrate Konkan Railway with Indian Railways, which will help facilitate increased investments in the state. “We are hopeful about the merger as the Goa and Karnataka governments have shown support for it. This will increase routes and double the current lines,” Fadnavis added.

“Under PM Modiji’s leadership, Maharashtra has received a huge contribution for its rail infrastructure. The state has been allotted over Rs 1.73 lakh crore for projects, including bigger projects like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and the Dedicated Freight Corridor. In the current fiscal year, Maharashtra received over Rs 23,000 crore,” Vaishnaw said.