Gwalior, Aug 18 (IANS) Passenger rail service was extended up to Beerpur in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district on Tuesday, marking a key milestone in the Rs 2,355‑crore Gwalior‑Sheopur gauge conversion project and improving connectivity to the Gwalior‑Chambal region, including Kuno National Park.
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav virtually flagged off the Gwalior‑Kailaras‑Beerpur MEMU passenger train service.
The extension of the broad‑gauge service is expected to benefit thousands of passengers, reduce travel time by nearly half, and provide direct rail access to more than 100 villages in Morena and Sheopur districts.
Scindia said the extension of passenger rail service to Beerpur was not merely an expansion of rail service but the beginning of a new chapter in development, employment, trade, education, tourism, and connectivity in the Gwalior‑Chambal region.
The Gwalior‑Sheopur narrow‑gauge line, popularly known as the “toy train”, ceased operations in 2020 for conversion to broad gauge. The first phase of the new service between Gwalior and Kailaras was launched in October 2024.
With the opening of the 56‑km Kailaras‑Beerpur section, direct rail connectivity has now reached Beerpur, while work on the remaining stretch up to Sheopur Kalan is in the final stages, officials said.
Scindia said nearly 95 per cent of the work beyond Beerpur up to Sheopur had been completed, and the section would open in the coming months.
At present, around 8,000 to 10,000 passengers use the MEMU service up to Kailaras daily, and the extension to Beerpur is expected to benefit another 6,000 to 8,000 commuters, he added.
The broad‑gauge line will reduce travel time between Gwalior and Beerpur from around 6.5 hours to three to four hours. Scindia said better rail connectivity would not only make travel easier but also accelerate social and economic development.
He added that Kuno National Park and the historic fort of Sheopur would become more accessible, opening up new opportunities for tourism and local businesses.
Railway Minister Vaishnaw said more than 100 villages would directly benefit from the project and added that the line would eventually be connected to Kota in Rajasthan, further improving regional connectivity.
The 189‑km Gwalior‑Sheopur gauge conversion project is being implemented for Rs 2,355 crore. Of the total length, around 118 km has been completed and the remaining work is targeted to be finished by December 2026.
–IANS
pd/dan
