Rajasthan: New 93-km Rail Line From Kota to Sheopurkalan Proposed at Rs 2,377 Crore, 7 New Stations Planned

Kota: The Kota Rail Division has prepared a proposal for a new 93.22-km railway line between Sheopurkalan and Kota and sent it to the Railway Board. The project is aimed at strengthening rail connectivity between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Seven new stations are proposed on the route.

Once the project is complete, the Sheopur region could be directly connected to Kota by rail. People in several towns and rural areas of Kota district would also get rail facilities.

The project to carry out gauge conversion of the 187.53-km Gwalior–Sheopurkalan route and lay a new line from there to Kota was included in the North Central Railway's Pink Book in 2010-11. At that time, the proposed new line to Kota was put at 104.96 km. In the proposal prepared later on the basis of the final location survey, the length was fixed at 93.22 km.

On 29 March 2022, the Railway Board issued a letter handing over the work on the new line from Sheopurkalan to Kota to the West Central Railway. The final location survey was approved on 31 January 2023, and the contract for the survey was awarded on 7 May 2023.

Final Location Survey Completed

The final location survey for the project has now been completed. Based on it, a detailed project report (DPR) of Rs 2,376.84 crore was prepared and sent to the Railway Board for approval on 10 May 2024.

The project involves gauge conversion between Gwalior and Sheopurkalan and, in the second phase, extension of the line to Kota.

Nine Stations on Route, Seven of Them New

The proposed 93.22-km route will have nine stations in all. Sheopurkalan and Shri Kalyanpura are the two existing stations, while seven new stations are proposed. These are Kanhapura, Kheda, Pipalda Kalan, Itawa, Daulatpura, Badaud and Sultanpur.

With these stations, people in nearby villages and towns could get rail travel facilities.

Three Important Bridges, 32 Major Bridges and 59 Road Underbridges

The proposal has taken into account rivers, streams and other geographical obstacles along the route. According to it, three important bridges, 32 major bridges and 107 minor bridges are to be built. Provision has also been made for 59 road underbridges to keep road traffic smooth.

Land Acquisition to Begin After Approval

The action plan of November 2024 had set 18 months for the land acquisition process after the DPR is approved. The same action plan had set a target of completing the project by 2027-28. However, the pace of construction will depend on the Railway Board's approval, availability of land and other required procedures.

Benefits for Education, Healthcare and Trade

The new line would create direct rail connectivity between the Sheopur region and Kota. People living in towns and villages along the route could travel to and from Kota more easily.

Those travelling for education, treatment and trade would get a better transport option. Trade activity and economic development in the region are also expected to get a boost.

“In the revised survey, the length of the proposed new rail line in Sheopur-Kota has been reduced from 104.96 km to 93.22 km. After completing the final location survey, the proposals have been sent to the Railway Board by the Kota Rail Division,” said Saurabh Jain, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM), Kota Rail Division. “Now seven new stations will be built on this route. This will benefit the people of both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.”