Dhar district gets its first passenger train as Tanda Road joins the national rail network
Madhya Pradesh has achieved a major milestone as the Dhar district has been integrated into the national railway network for the first time since independence. On September 8, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated a new 28-kilometer rail section between Jobat and Tanda Road as an essential part of the larger Chhota Udepur-Dhar rail project. Dhar Member of Parliament and Union Minister of State Savitri Thakur officially flagged off the new MEMU passenger train at Tanda Road station, thanking national and state leadership for the historic initiative.
Train Operations and Route Details
The 12-coach MEMU passenger train operates daily between Pratap Nagar in Vadodara Gujarat and Tanda Road, directly connecting this tribal region to neighboring Gujarat. Built at an estimated cost of 234 crore rupees, the 28-kilometer Jobat-Tanda Road rail segment features modern overhead electrification executed by Bikaner-based Jagdamba Engineers and Builders alongside the Vadodara railway construction electrical team. Passengers travelling from Tanda Road to Vadodara will pay a nominal fare of 50 rupees, making this service a much cheaper and safer alternative to road transport. Western Railway Ratlam division Public Relations Officer Mukesh Kumar noted that this development will strongly boost trade, employment, education, health, and tourism in the area.
Project Background and Future Plans
Sanctioned originally in 2007-08, the foundation stone for the Chhota Udepur-Dhar project was laid by then-Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on February 8, 2008. Local railway struggle committee leaders recalled that efforts for this rail link began as early as 2003 with support from former Railway Ministers. While residents around Tanda Road celebrate this new connectivity, Dhar city itself is still waiting for its own direct train services. Following a successful locomotive speed trial at 120 km/h on the Dekakund-Tanda Road section conducted on August 14, 2026, railway officials have targeted December 2026 to start passenger train operations up to Dekakund, while tender documents are currently being finalized to extend the tracks all the way to the Dhar district headquarters.