ROURKELA: The Sardega-Pathalgaon-Ambikapur rail line project, which would traverse the Sundargarh district, is still awaiting the Railway ministry’s approval. This comes as another similar initiative has been expedited, as noted by a member of the Rail Vikash Sangram Samiti (RVSS).
Both the 218 km Sardega-Pathalgaon-Ambikapur line, which spans Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and the 291.88 km Dharamjaigarh-Pathalgaon-Lohardaga line, traversing Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, had their detailed project reports (DPRs) completed around the same time in late 2025.
According to RVSS general secretary Dhruba Kalo, the Dharamjaigarh-Pathalgaon-Lohardaga project has seen substantial advancement with the ministry issuing a gazette notification on June 4, 2026. In contrast, he pointed out that the file for the Sardega-Pathalgaon-Ambikapur project remains stagnant within the Railway Board, attributed to insufficient political advocacy from Sundargarh’s representatives.
The RVSS, which includes members from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, serves as an advocacy group pushing for enhanced rail connectivity across these states. Kalo criticized the Railway ministry’s treatment of the Sardega-Pathalgaon-Ambikapur proposal as “step-motherly.” He stated that the RVSS intends to engage with Dilip Ray, the newly appointed member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways, to address this issue with the ministry. Additionally, they will appeal to Union Tribal Affairs Minister and Sundargarh MP Jual Oram to rekindle the demand with the railway minister.
Kalo also highlighted that Chhattisgarh is on the brink of significant railway infrastructure improvements, largely due to the efforts of its chief minister, Vishnu Deo Sai.
Referring to a parliamentary response from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw dated December 3, 2025, Kalo mentioned that 26 surveys for new rail lines totaling 3,901 km were sanctioned under the South East Central Railway (SECR) from March 2022 to March 2025. He noted that many of these surveyed lines have either received approval or are ready for implementation.
Sources indicate that after nearly five decades of advocacy, the SECR has completed the DPR for the Sardega-Pathalgaon-Ambikapur rail line.
The project is intended to link Sardega in Hemgir block to Banujore in Balishankara block of Sundargarh district, covering approximately 78 km in Odisha. This proposal aims to connect previously unlinked areas of Sundargarh, particularly the district headquarters.
In a related development, the DPR for a new 144 km line from Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh) to Renukoot (Uttar Pradesh) is also under consideration. Integrating the forthcoming Ambikapur-Renukoot line with the Sardega-Pathalgaon-Ambikapur line will create a direct and efficient railway route from Sardega to Delhi. Sardega is already linked to Jharsuguda station, located on the busy Howrah-Mumbai main line, while the proposed Ambikapur-Renukoot line is set to connect with the Howrah-Delhi main line at Renukoot.
Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Singh stated, “The residents of Sundargarh town and the surrounding rural areas must travel 30 to 45 km to reach Jharsuguda station to board a train. They urgently require this proposed railway line.”
