Indore-Manmad Line Will Link Mumbai With Areas Near Nepal Border: Vaishnaw

In a significant development, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the 309-km Indore-Manmad railway line project, estimated to cost Rs 18,036 crore. Announced by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, this new rail line aims to connect Indore in Madhya Pradesh with Manmad in north Maharashtra. The project is expected to enhance connectivity between remote border areas adjacent to Nepal and Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

Vaishnaw highlighted that "the Indore-Manmad rail line will benefit not only Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra but the entire country," extending its reach to areas in Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states. The project, approved ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, is anticipated to provide a boost to economic development, manufacturing, religious tourism, and cultural activities. The new line will allow trains to run at speeds of up to 160 kmph, significantly reducing travel time and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 1,380 million kg—equivalent to planting 5.50 crore trees.

Four locations have been identified for industrial hubs along the line to facilitate efficient movement of goods to the ports. The railway minister also urged the state government to establish additional industrial hubs for Gati Shakti cargo terminals. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the project's approval, emphasizing its role in accelerating development in the Malwa-Nimar region and reducing migration for employment.

The state government plans to form a special task force to expedite the project and develop an economic corridor along the railway line. The railway ministry aims to complete the project by 2028-29, with Yadav requesting its completion before the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain in 2028. State BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma praised the project for advancing progress in tribal areas.