Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday (September 3) announced that the new Indore-Manmad railway line project will enable the transport of goods from border areas near Nepal to Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the 309-km project on Monday, with an estimated cost of Rs 18,036 crore.
The rail line, which will connect Indore, the financial hub of Madhya Pradesh, to Manmad in north Maharashtra, has been approved ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
Mumbai-Indore rail line to boost economic growth
Vaishnaw highlighted that the Indore-Manmad line will benefit not just Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, but also other regions, including Uttar Pradesh and areas adjoining Nepal, by linking them to Mumbai’s port. This development is expected to boost economic growth, manufacturing, religious tourism, and cultural activities, making it a “win-win” for the entire nation.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for the project’s approval, noting its potential to accelerate development in the tribal-dominated Malwa-Nimar region and reduce employment migration. The new line will facilitate the transportation of potatoes, onions, minerals, and coarse grains.
Mumbai-Indore rail line to be ready by 2028-29
The state government plans to establish a special task force to work with the Ministry of Railways to expedite the project and is also considering developing an economic corridor along the railway line.
The railway ministry aims to complete the project by 2028-29, with Yadav requesting that it be finished before the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain in 2028. State BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma stated that the project will significantly advance the progress of tribal areas.
