Wardha–Nanded line

Wardha–Yavatmal–Nanded line, with 327 km long Wardha-Kalamb-Yavatmal-Digras-Pusad-Nanded alignment, is an under-construction railway line in Maharashtra state of India, which will connect Nagpur and other districts in Vidarbha with Nanded and other parts of Marathwada regions. It will reduce Wardha-Yavatmal passenger travel time from about 2 hours by road to approximately 1.5 hours by train. It will also provide evacuation of major produce of Vidharba, such as cotton, soybeans, and coal, to Marathwada.^[1][2][3] It has been designated as the "special project" status by the Ministry of Railways, Government of India.^[4][5]

Revised total project cost of 284 km new line was INR3445.34 crores in 2025,^[6][7] spanning across six tehsils and 90 villages in Wardha, Yavatmal, Washim, Hingoli and Nanded district of Maharashtra,^[8] requiring acquisition of 722 hectares land.^[9]

The final alignment of the Wardha-Kalamb-Yavatmal-Digras-Pusad-Nanded route has the following stations:^[1][2][3]

• Phase-I: Wardha-Kalamb-Yavatmal

• • Phase-I.A Wardha to Kalamb, 62 km:
    • Wardha Junction (existing city station)
    • Sevagram Junction railway station (existing, optional interchange)
    • Seloo (new)
    • Hinganghat (existing, major halt)
    • Kalamb (Umri) (new, key station for Yavatmal connectivity)

• • Phase-I.B Kalamb to Yavatmal, (40 km)
    • Wani Road (new)
    • Kelzar (new)
    • New Yavatmal (Yeotmal) (new terminal station is different from the existing Yavatmal junction city station.)

• Phase-II: Yavatmal-Digras-Pusad

• • Phase-II.A Yavatmal-Digras (50 km)
    • Darwha Moti Bagh Junction (existing)
    • Digras (new junction station)

• • Phase-II.B Digras-Pusad, 85 km:
    • Mahagaon (new)
    • Pusad (new)

• Phase-III: Pusad-Nanded (90 km)
  • • Umarkhed (new)
    • Hadgaon (new)
    • Waranga
    • Ardhapur (new)
    • Dabhad (new)
    • Mudkhed Junction railway station (existing, interchange to Nanded)
    • Maltekdi (existing)
    • Hazur Sahib Nanded junction, (existing, terminus)

• Shakuntala Railway, the narrow-gauge rail track between Yavatmal old railway station and Achalpur in Amravati district, is being converted to broad-gauge.

• Overall:
  • 2025 May: 47% physical work is complete with 91% of the total revised total budget of INR 3,445 exhausted with target completion date still showing January 2026 for the whole Wardha-Nanded route.^[10] RVNL achieved the breakthrough in 370 meter long T3 tunnel between Digras and Pusad in June 2025 only after 4 months of tunneling.^[11]

• Phase-I Wardha-Kalamb-Yavatmal, completed and operational.^[1][2][3]
  • Phase-I.I Wardha to Kalamb, completed and operational.^[1][2][3]
  • Phase-I.II Kalamb to Yavatmal, completed and operational.^[1][2][3]

• Phase-II Yavatmal-Digras-Pusad, under-construction (2028 target):^[1][2][3]
  • Phase-II.I Yavatmal-Digras, under-construction (2027 target): revised target as of June 2025.^[1][2][3]

• • Phase-II.II Digras-Pusad, under-construction (2028 target): revised target as of June 2025 if land acquisition is resolved.^[1][2][3]

• Phase-III Pusad-Nanded, under-construction (2029 target): revised target as of June 2025 if protests and land issues are resolved.^[1][2][3]

• Expressways in Maharashtra
  • Nagpur–Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, via Yavatmal-Pusad-Hingoli-Parbhani-Latur
  • Jalna-Nanded Expressway, northwest to southeast via Parbhani

• Rail transport in India
  • Akola–Ratlam line gauge conversion (target completion 31 March 2028), once complete will provide shortest route between North-Northwest India and South-Southeast India
  • Bhopal-Ramganj Mandi line, under-construction with target completion by December 2027, will provide shorter route from Ludiana-Hisar-Jaipur-Kota to Bhopal
  • Shakuntala Railway, gauge conversion of line which runs parallel to the west of Wardha-Nanded line
  • Future of rail transport in India
  • Indian Railway