![Indore Railway Station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Indore_Railway_Station.jpg)
Indore Junction (station code: INDB) is one of the Railway junctions in
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
and serves
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is t ...
, the commercial capital of
Central India
Central India is a loosely defined geographical region of India. There is no clear official definition and various ones may be used. One common definition consists of the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which are included in alm ...
. The railway station of Indore Junction BG (future Indore Central) falls under the administrative control of
Western Railway zone
The Western Railway (abbreviated WR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railw ...
of
Indian Railways
Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tot ...
. It consists of six main railway platforms. The
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani language, Hindustani pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Prad ...
–Indore route and Indore Junction was electrified in 2011. The Station is located 1 km away from the city centre. It is one of the
ISO Certified Railway Stations of India.
History
Holkar State Railway
His Highness the Maharajah Holkar of Indore
Sawai Shri Tukojirao Holkar II, in 1870, offered a loan of £10 million sterling for the construction of a rail-line to his capital city of
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is t ...
, taking off from the
Great Indian Peninsula (G.I.P.) Railway main line. A quick survey was made and
Khandwa
Khandwa is a city and a nagar nigam in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Khandwa district, formerly known as East Nimar District.
Khandwa is a major railway junction; the Malwa line conne ...
on the G.I.P. line was chosen as junction point. The alignment was to pass through
Sanawad
Sanawad is a city in the Khargone district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is a popular center for the trade of cotton and wheat. Nearby cities include Barwaha, Khargone, Khandwa and Indore. In the Khargone district Sanawad is the thir ...
, Kheree Ghat on the
Narmada River and then by way of the
Choral Valley up the slopes of the
Vindhyas
The Vindhya Range (also known as Vindhyachal) () is a complex, discontinuous chain of mountain ridges, hill ranges, highlands and plateau escarpments in west-central India.
Technically, the Vindhyas do not form a single mountain range in the ...
to Indore. Maharaja Holkar's contribution accelerated the construction of rail-lines in
Malwa
Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syno ...
region.
During 1870s, a rail line of
Holkar State Railway
The Holkar (Pronunciation: o(ː)ɭkəɾ dynasty was a Maratha clan of Dhangar origin in India. The Holkars were generals under Peshwa Baji Rao I, and later became Maharajas of Indore in Central India as an independent member of the Marat ...
was sanctioned between
Khandwa
Khandwa is a city and a nagar nigam in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Khandwa district, formerly known as East Nimar District.
Khandwa is a major railway junction; the Malwa line conne ...
and Indore passing the
Mhow
Mhow, officially Dr. Ambedkar Nagar, is a town in the Indore district in Madhya Pradesh state of India. It is located south-west of Indore city, towards Mumbai on the old Mumbai-Agra Road. The town was renamed as ''Dr. Ambedkar Nagar'' in 20 ...
Ghat. The Holkar Railway required very heavy works due to very steep gradients (up to 1 in 40) on the Vindhya Ghats. It also involved digging of 4 tunnels aggregating 510 yards in length, deep cuttings and heavy retaining walls. River Narmada was crossed by a bridge of 14 spans, 197 feet each and piers 80 feet above low water level. There are 14 other large bridges with high piers, the highest pier being 152 feet above the bottom of the ravine.
The first section Khandwa–Sanawad was opened for traffic on 1.12.1874. The Narmada Bridge was opened for traffic on 5.10.1876 by His Highness the Maharaja of Holkar who named it ‘Holkar-Narmada Bridge’.
Scindia–Neemuch Railway
Surveys between Indore and
Neemuch
Neemuch or Nimach is a town in the malwa region. Neemuch crowns the north western part of MP. It has been also referred to city of Nature and Peace. The town shares its northwestern border with the state of Rajasthan and is the administrati ...
started long back in 1871–72 when the plan and estimates for the whole project was submitted to the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
in 1872–73. Maharaja
Jayajirao Scindia
Jayajirao Scindia GCB, GCSI, CIE (19 January 1834 – 20 June 1886) of the Scindia dynasty of the Marathas was the ruling Maharajah of Gwalior under the British rule from 1843 to 1886.
Early life
Jayajirao was born as Bhagirath Shinde, son ...
of
Gwalior
Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...
agreed to grant a loan of Rs. 7.5 million at 4 per cent per annum interest for the project and the railway was renamed as ‘Scindia–Neemuch Railway’. It also included a branch line to
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani language, Hindustani pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Prad ...
from Indore. The Indore–Ujjain branch line was opened in August 1876 and the line was completed in 1879–80.
Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway
During the period 1881-1882, the Holkar Railway and Scindia Neemuch Railway merged under a single management and were renamed Rajputana Malwa Railway. In 1882,
Khandwa
Khandwa is a city and a nagar nigam in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Khandwa district, formerly known as East Nimar District.
Khandwa is a major railway junction; the Malwa line conne ...
–
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is t ...
line extended to
Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
. The identity of Rajputana Malwa Railway remained for a very short while and its management was taken over by
Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway
The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (reporting mark BB&CI) was a company incorporated in 1855 to undertake the task of constructing railway lines between Bombay to the erstwhile Baroda State, that became the present-day Baroda (Vadoda ...
Company on 1 January 1885 till 1951.
Western Railway
Indore railway station was reconstructed by
B.B. & C.I.company in the year 1921. On 5 November 1951,
Western Railway with its headquarters at
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
came into existence after merging of
B.B. & C.I.Railway with the other State Railways and overtook the administration of Indore Junction. The broad-gauge portion was extended from
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani language, Hindustani pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Prad ...
–
Maksi
Maksi is a city and a municipality in Shajapur district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is famous for Jain Temple of Maksi Parshwanathh Ji. Maksi has an ever buzzing market which is famous for sweet samosas.
Geography
Maksi is loca ...
–Indore in 1964–66 and the doubling of the Indore–
Bhopal
Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...
sections was completed in during 1993–2001.
Connectivity
The Indore Junction is connected with
Ujjain Junction
Ujjain Junction railway station is the main railway station of Ujjain city in the western part of Madhya Pradesh. Its code is UJN. Ujjain Junction falls under the administrative control of Western Railway Zone of Indian Railways. Ujjain Junction ...
to the north west,
Mhow Cantonment to the south,
Dewas Junction
Dewas Junction railway station (station code:- DWX) is the main railway station of Dewas city in the western part of Madhya Pradesh situated on Indore-Dewas-Ujjain section. It serves Dewas city. The station consists of three platforms.
Connec ...
to the north and
Khandwa Junction
Khandwa Junction is on the Jabalpur–Bhusaval section of Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line. It lies in Khandwa district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
History
The Great Indian Peninsula Railway
The Great Indian Peninsula Railway ...
to the south east. Being a
junction station ''Junction station'' usually refers to a railway station situated on or close to a junction where lines to several destinations diverge. The usual minimum is three incoming lines. At a station with platforms running from left to right, the minimum ...
, it is well connected to
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi Language, Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Rajasthan. , the city had a pop ...
,
Kota,
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
,
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...
,
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
, ,
Bhopal
Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...
,
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani language, Hindustani pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Prad ...
,
Gwalior
Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...
,
Jabalpur
Jabalpur is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. According to the 2011 census, it is the third-largest urban agglomeration in Madhya Pradesh and the country's 38th-largest urban agglomeration. J ...
,
Rewa
Rewa may refer to:
Places Fiji
* Rewa (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji), a former electoral division of Fiji
* Rewa Plateau, between the Kaimur and Vindhya Ranges in Madhya Pradesh
* Rewa Province, Fiji
* Rewa River, the widest river in Fiji
...
,
Gadarwara
Gadarwara is a city and a municipality since 1867 in Narsinghpur district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.
Geography
Gadarwara is located at . It has an average elevation of 354.77 metres (1,163 feet).
Gadarwara lies on the m ...
,
Betul,
Katni
Katni officially Murwara is a city on the banks of the Katni River in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Katni District. It is in the Mahakoshal region of central India. The city is from the divisional headquarters ...
,
Khandwa
Khandwa is a city and a nagar nigam in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Khandwa district, formerly known as East Nimar District.
Khandwa is a major railway junction; the Malwa line conne ...
,
Ratlam
Ratlam, known historically as Ratnapuri (lit. ''gem city''), is a city in the northwestern part of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh states and territories of India, state of India. The city of Ratlam lies above sea level. It is the administ ...
and
Bina within the state.
The station is well-connected to major stations of India such as Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Nagpur,
Kota, Dehradun, Pune, Bangalore, Udaipur, Amritsar and Patna.
Electrification
Western Railway started the electrification of
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani language, Hindustani pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Prad ...
–
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is t ...
&
Dewas
Dewas is a city in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The municipality was formerly the seat of two 15-Gun Salute state princely states during the British Raj, Dewas Junior state and Dewas Senior state, ruled by the Pua ...
–
Maksi
Maksi is a city and a municipality in Shajapur district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is famous for Jain Temple of Maksi Parshwanathh Ji. Maksi has an ever buzzing market which is famous for sweet samosas.
Geography
Maksi is loca ...
in the period of 2007–08 & completed in June 2012. A trial run of a special inspection saloon was also conducted on the newly laid system build at a cost of Rs 70 crore.
Developments
The construction of two new platforms is done, which was approved earlier by the
Western Railways (WR). The Indore railway station now has a modern station complex developed by the Western Railway's
Ratlam railway division close to Rajkumar railway overbridge. This elevated structure would offer commuters space at the ground floor and have ticket booking counters, waiting halls, etc. on the first floor. The complex offer's sufficient parking facilities.
The facility would be equipped with division's first underpass. A multi-storey parking facility is also under construction in the station premises. Now there are six platforms in Indore junction (BG). At present the conversion of Indore – Khandwa (meter-gauge) to (broad-gauge) rail line is in progress. A new line from Indore (Jn) to Dahod (Jn) is also work in progress. Both rail lines would be completed in years 2022 and 2023 respectively. Recently CCEA also Sanctioned Gadarwara(Narsinghpur) -Indore new rail line via Budni. This will decrease the distance between Indore and Jabalpur by 90 km. Also the Ministry of Shipping has approved Indore–Manmad Rail line. Then rail lines would increase the connectivity of Indore with Mumbai.
Suburban trains
The Indore Suburban Railway is a
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
system serving the Indore Metropolitan Region. It is operated by Indian Railways' zonal Western Railways (WR). It has the highest passenger density of any urban railway system in
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
. The trains plying on its routes are commonly referred to as local trains or simply as locals.
Major trains
These trains start from Indore Junction railway station:
See also
*
*
*
Bhopal Habibganj
*
*
Indore-Dewas-Ujjain section
*
Indore-Dahod line
References
External links
*Ratlam Division, WR Websit
{{Railway stations in Madhya Pradesh
Railway junction stations in Madhya Pradesh
Railway stations in Indore
Ratlam railway division
Railway stations opened in 1921
1921 establishments in India
Buildings and structures in Indore