Commuters and residents in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district are facing continued travel disruptions as the construction of a critical railway overbridge (ROB) remains incomplete. The closure of the Nagda-Gujri road, which has now persisted for over a year, has become a major point of concern for locals as the broader Indore-Dahod rail project struggles to meet its set timeline. While authorities had earlier promised accelerated progress, the project delays have effectively pushed the expected start of train services between Indore and Dhar to 2027.
- Nagda-Gujri road remains closed for over a year due to ongoing ROB construction.
- Train services between Indore and Dhar are now anticipated to commence in 2027.
- Western Railway is working on seven ROBs in the district, most of which have missed their October 2025 completion target.
- A 3-kilometer railway tunnel is currently targeted for completion by September 1, 2026.
- Union Minister of State Savitri Thakur is actively monitoring the project to ensure faster execution.
Current Status of Infrastructure Development
The construction at the Nagda-Gujri site involves partial dismantling of the existing structure to make way for the new railway line. Currently, traffic is being diverted through a temporary rail underbridge, causing significant inconvenience for daily commuters. Despite reports from May 2025 regarding 24-hour construction shifts near the Dhar Railway Station on the Nagda-Dhar Highway, the overall pace of work has failed to match the project’s original schedule.
The project, which is a vital part of the connectivity infrastructure for the region, has seen mixed results. While two railway overbridges at Sagour and Manpur were successfully inaugurated in February 2026 at a cost of approximately 107 crore rupees, other sections continue to lag. Additionally, the Nagar Palika Dhar launched a 1.50 crore rupee project in January 2024 to install central lighting on the Nagda-Gujri road, which remains stalled pending the completion of civil works.
Path to Completion
To address these delays, Dhar MP and Union Minister of State Savitri Thakur has held repeated discussions with Western Railway officials, stressing the need for immediate prioritization of the pending overbridges. The railway authorities have now set a fresh target of September 1, 2026, for the completion of a major 3-kilometer tunnel, which is considered a backbone for the line. If this target is achieved, officials aim to begin train operations between Dhar and Indore by October 2026, though the current ground reality suggests full integration may only be realized by 2027.