A bridge (Bridge No. 94) on the Sivni-Itwari railway section, between Bhandarkund and Bhimalgondi, has developed cracks. The railway board sent a team to inspect the bridge and prepare a report on the cause of the cracks and preventive measures. A new bridge will be constructed, for which the tender process...
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will take at least a month. The construction of the new bridge is estimated to take 5-6 months, which would mean that train services between Sivni and Nagpur will be disrupted for six months. The incident occurred despite the DRM (Divisional Railway Manager) inspecting the bridge on August 22nd and declaring it to be in good condition. This has raised questions about the effectiveness of the inspection. The bridge was built at a cost of 2.5 crores and has already incurred maintenance expenses of 3.5 crores in just three years. The bridge has been a subject of controversy since its construction, with the CRS (Commissioner of Railway Safety) raising concerns about the quality of work. The bridge had been permitted to operate trains at a speed of 20 km/h and required 24-hour monitoring. The entire project, encompassing the Chhindwara-Sivni-Nanpur-Mandla Fort railway line and the Chhindwara-Itwari line, cost a combined 2700 crores and was completed after seven years of construction. Although train services are available, they are frequently canceled, causing inconvenience to passengers.

The Indian Railways has allocated funds for the construction of the Gondia Bypass Line, also known as the Pratapabag Gudma Chord Line, in the SECR region. This new line will create a direct rail link between Jabalpur, Nainpur, Balaghat, Seoni, Chhindwara, and Katangi to Durg and Raipur, eliminating the need for...
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trains to change engines at Gondia. The Bypass Line is expected to reduce travel time for passengers and improve train operations. This project is a significant step towards improving and expanding the Indian Railway network. The Bypass Line is 18.5 km long and was included in the 2024 Rail Budget. The line's construction is expected to be completed by December 2023 or January 2024, which will allow trains travelling south to bypass the Howrah-Mumbai mainline.