As tracks pierce isolated red region, Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad finds a route to progress

A new railway line connecting Rowghat to Dallirajhara in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region promises faster, cheaper travel, better access to education, healthcare

At around 6.30 in the morning of a late October day, a train with around 30 passengers leaves the station at Rowghat, in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district. It will pick up more at Tadoki, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, and Kewti, before reaching its destination, Dallirajhara, around 100km away.

Chhattisgarh’s new Rowghat-Dallirajhara passenger train connects remote tribal villages, offering affordable access to Raipur.

The 12-carriage train soon enters a dense forest; the morning sunlight falls through the trees as the train rolls past hills, streams and small settlements. The beauty of the landscape is not lost on siblings