New Indore-Manmad Railway Line to Boost Economic and Cultural Development

The Indore-Manmad railway line project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and will connect Indore to Manmad and further to Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port. The project, estimated to cost Rs 18,036 crore, aims to boost economic, cultural, and tourism activities, benefiting several Indian states.

The new Indore-Manmad railway line project will enable the transportation of goods from border areas near Nepal to Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on Tuesday. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the 309-km project, which is estimated to cost Rs 18,036 crore.

The railway line will connect Indore, the financial capital of Madhya Pradesh, with Manmad in north Maharashtra, receiving clearance ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

'The Indore-Manmad rail line will benefit not only Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra but the entire country. Areas of Uttar Pradesh and other Indian states adjoining Nepal will also be connected to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai through this line,' Vaishnaw said in a press conference via video link. It will significantly boost economic development, manufacturing, religious tourism, and cultural activities, proving to be a 'win-win' project for the whole country, he added.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for approving the project, adding that it will accelerate development in the tribal-dominated Malwa-Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh and curb migration for employment opportunities.

The project will facilitate the transportation of potatoes, onions, minerals, and coarse grains, according to officials. The state government plans to set up a special task force to coordinate 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 Chief Minister Yadav requesting its completion before the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain in 2028. State BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma commented that the project would bring new impetus to the progress of the tribal areas.

(With inputs from agencies.)