Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh joined the Indian Railways network for the first time since Independence on Saturday, as Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated two new rail sections totalling 118 kilometres in the Vindhya region.

Source: NewsAge / PIB release

The two sections are the 53 km Satna–Devendra Nagar line and the 65 km Rewa–Churhat line. A new Devendra Nagar–Churhat train service was also flagged off at the inauguration, according to the official release and reports of the ceremony.

118 kmNew rail sections opened
53 kmSatna–Devendra Nagar
65 kmRewa–Churhat
541 kmFull Lalitpur–Singrauli project

Both sections form part of the Lalitpur–Singrauli New Rail Line Project, which on completion will link Lalitpur, Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Rewa, Sidhi and Singrauli, connecting mineral-rich areas with major industrial and transport hubs, the release said.

Chief Minister Yadav said the inauguration would take the region into a new era of development, thanking Vaishnaw for expanding railway infrastructure in the state, BizzBuzz reported. He said the 541 km project would strengthen transport links across Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

Source: BizzBuzz

Officials said Madhya Pradesh has received a record railway budget allocation of ₹15,188 crore for 2026–27 — yaani about ₹151.9 billion — while railway projects worth about ₹1,18,379 crore (yaani about ₹1.18 lakh crore) are under way in the state.

The new lines are expected to improve passenger movement and freight transport, including for the limestone and cement industries of the Vindhya region, and to support trade, tourism and employment for residents who until now relied entirely on road transport, Jagran Josh reported.

Source: Jagran Josh