Rail connectivity in the Gwalior-Chambal region received a major boost on Tuesday with the inauguration of the gauge-converted Kailaras-Sabalgarh-Birpur rail section in Madhya Pradesh and the extension of the Gwalior-Kailaras train service up to Birpur.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with Union Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, virtually inaugurated the section and flagged off the extended train service.
The 56-km Kailaras-Birpur section is expected to improve direct rail connectivity between Birpur, Vijaypur and Sabalgarh and Gwalior, providing more affordable and convenient transportation to residents of the region.
Vaishnaw said the project would benefit residents of more than 100 villages across Bamor, Joura, Kailaras and Sabalgarh tehsils of Morena district and Birpur, Sheopur and Karahal tehsils of Sheopur district.
The new connectivity is expected to improve access to Gwalior for education, healthcare and employment, while supporting local trade and economic activity in the region.
Gwalior-Sheopur rail link progressing
Vaishnaw said the gauge conversion of the 117-km Birlanagar-Birpur section has progressed rapidly in recent years, with successive stretches being opened for passenger traffic.
The Birlanagar-Rayaru section of 11 km was opened in May 2023, followed by the 22-km Rayaru-Sumaoli section in August 2023. The 14-km Sumaoli-Joura section became operational in November 2023, while the 14-km Joura-Kailaras stretch opened in February 2024. The 29-km Kailaras-Sabalgarh section was opened in 2025 and the 27-km Sabalgarh-Birpur section in 2026.
The Railway Minister said work on the next stretches – 37-km Birpur-Seroni Road and 33-km Seroni Road-Sheopur Kalan – is almost complete.
He expressed hope that the entire Gwalior-Sheopur Kalan railway line would be completed and made available to passengers within the next few months.
The railway connectivity is eventually expected to extend to Kota, linking the Gwalior-Chambal region with major educational and industrial centres.
Railway investment in Madhya Pradesh rises sharply
Vaishnaw highlighted the expansion of railway infrastructure across Madhya Pradesh, saying the state’s railway budget has increased from ₹632 crore during 2009-14 to ₹15,188 crore in 2026-27, an increase of nearly 24 times.
He said railway projects worth around ₹1.55 lakh crore are currently under implementation in Madhya Pradesh.
The Minister said 80 railway stations are being redeveloped in the state, while five Vande Bharat and seven Amrit Bharat trains are operating with connectivity to Madhya Pradesh.
Several major projects have also been taken up, including the Manmad-Indore new line and multiple third- and fourth-line projects. Projects connected with Madhya Pradesh approved during the third term of the incumbent government amount to around ₹64,512 crore, he said.
Vaishnaw also said that more than 5.54 lakh people have been recruited in Indian Railways since 2014.
He highlighted railway electrification and modernisation as key government priorities, noting that electrification has reduced dependence on diesel and helped lower expenditure on imported fuel.
Scindia calls extension a new beginning
Scindia described the extension of the railway line to Birpur as a historic development for the Gwalior-Chambal region and a “new beginning” for the area.
He said the railway journey that earlier connected Gwalior with Bamore, Sumaoli, Joura and Kailaras has now been extended to Birpur and will subsequently reach Sheopur and, ultimately, Kota.
Scindia said the railway line should not be viewed merely as a mode of transportation, as it would also improve access to education, healthcare and other modern services.
The Birpur extension will benefit people in areas including Kailaras, Sabalgarh, Rampahadi, Vijaypur and Birpur. He noted that the Kailaras section currently provides transport facilities to around 10,000 people daily, with the extension expected to expand the railway’s reach to a larger population.
Rail connectivity expected to support industrial growth
CM Yadav said the expansion of the railway network would strengthen connectivity between the Gwalior-Chambal region and Malwa.
He highlighted the Indore-Manmad new line and other railway projects as initiatives that would open new routes and contribute to the development of a new industrial belt, while also supporting tourism and other economic activities.
CM Yadav said railway connectivity is essential for industrial development and employment generation. He highlighted the potential of the Gwalior-Chambal region in sectors including battery energy storage, footwear, hydrogen manufacturing and tourism, saying improved rail connectivity would support these emerging industries.
He also said the extension of railway connectivity from Gwalior towards Shivpuri and Sheopur would create a new dimension of development for Gwalior and the wider region. Ongoing doubling, tripling and quadrupling of railway lines across Madhya Pradesh would further strengthen connectivity, he added.
The programme was attended by Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar, Morena MP Shivmangal Singh Tomar and other dignitaries.
