At about 6.30 in the morning, a train with around 30 passengers leaves Rowghat station in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district.
It is heading for Dallirajhara, around 100 km away.
The Hindustan Times reported this on the new passenger line.
The train picks up more people at Tadoki, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur and Kewti on the way.
Key points
- A new passenger train runs from Rowghat to Dallirajhara, about 100 km away.
- Residents say a trip to Raipur that once took a full day now takes a few hours.
- The line was started in 2015 and inaugurated on October 20, 2026.
- No Maoist violence has been reported in the region for seven months.
What does the journey look like on the ground?
As the train enters a dense forest, morning sunlight falls through the trees. It passes hills, streams and small settlements.
Anil and Anjani Potai are siblings from Narayanpur. Both are students at Swami Atmanand College in Raipur.
Anjani says there are streams almost every kilometre. She records the view on her phone.
At Tadoki, five security personnel board the train.
At Antagarh, about 50 more people get on, most headed for the mining town of Dalli Rajhara in Balod district.
So how is the train changing daily life?
Anil says the trip to Raipur used to take a whole day. Now he can reach the city in a few hours.
He believes many tribal youths will now study in Raipur.
Farmer Kaushal Baghel boards at Kewti for the same reason, to reach a hospital.
Baghel says the earlier bus journey took eight to ten hours. Now he can go to Raipur for a knee consultation.
Punem, a passenger from Antagarh, says the train is cheaper and faster than other options.
He plans to return by the same train.
One security person, travelling home to Bihar for Diwali, says the situation has improved a lot.
He still says fear remains in the area.
What is the background to this railway line?
Construction of the Dallirajhara to Rowghat line began in 2015. The first 75 km, up to Tadoki, was completed in 2023.
Passenger services started that year.
The rest of the line was built over the next three years.
Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated it on October 20, 2026.
- 2015Construction of the Dallirajhara to Rowghat line began.
- 2023First 75 km, up to Tadoki, completed; passenger services started.
- Next three yearsThe rest of the line was built.
- October 20, 2026Vishnu Deo Sai and Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the line.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
Rowghat was once a Maoist bastion.
Its platforms are still guarded by security camps, though no Maoist violence has been reported for seven months.
The central government has claimed it wiped out Maoism in Chhattisgarh by March 31, 2026.
The report also gives figures for killings in encounters and surrenders since January 2024.
The report gives the trip as about 100 km, while the line itself is listed as 95 km.
The reports are not fully clear on this difference.
Explainer
What happened before
- Construction of the 95 km Dallirajhara to Rowghat line began in 2015.
- The first 75 km, up to Tadoki, was completed in 2023, and passenger services started that year.
- Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the line on October 20, 2026.
Why it matters
The train links remote tribal villages with Raipur, a trip that residents say once took a full day.
What to watch next
- Security camps still guard the two platforms at Rowghat, though no Maoist violence has been reported for seven months.
