South East Central Railway (SECR) has established a new benchmark in infrastructure and operational excellence during the 2025-26 financial year. General Manager Tarun Prakash announced that the zone successfully commissioned 125 kilometers of new rail lines and achieved historic milestones in freight loading. These developments reflect the railway’s commitment to enhancing connectivity and modernization while maintaining a strong focus on safety and passenger comfort.
Major Infrastructure and Connectivity Projects Completed
The financial year saw the successful completion of several critical segments across different railway divisions. From the Bilaspur-Jharsuguda fourth line project to the Rajnandgaon-Nagpur third line, SECR has rapidly expanded its track capacity to handle more traffic. The zone also focused on safety by constructing 18 Road Over Bridges (ROB) and 27 Road Under Bridges (RUB), effectively eliminating 34 level crossings for smoother road and rail movement.
| Project Segment | Length (km) |
|---|---|
| Abhanpur-Kurud (Gauge Conversion) | 21.20 |
| Gondia-Gangajhari | 13.74 |
| ROR Gondia | 13.50 |
| Baradwar-Sakti | 13.00 |
| Urga-Kusmunda | 11.51 |
| Kirodimal Nagar-Raigarh | 10.27 |
| Gudma-Gondia | 10.00 |
Record Freight Performance and Passenger Growth
SECR maintained its dominance in freight transport by loading 261 million tonnes of cargo, securing the second position across Indian Railways. Notably, it ranked first in the country for coal transportation by moving 199.50 million tonnes. This operational efficiency generated a freight revenue of over 30,400 crore rupees, which is the highest ever recorded by the zone. The total revenue for the financial year exceeded 32,000 crore rupees.
- Passenger Increase: Over 8.30 crore passengers traveled via SECR, marking a 12 percent growth from the previous year.
- Safety Upgrades: Rail accidents saw a 45 percent reduction, and Kavach safety technology was installed in 101 electric locomotives.
- New Services: Four new train services were launched, and seven existing trains were extended to serve more regions.
- Modernization: AI-enabled drones were introduced for OHE inspection in Raipur, and 50 stations are currently being upgraded under the Amrit Bharat Scheme.