Raipur in brief
Raipur Junction is the main railway station of Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. Its station code is just one letter: R, one of the very few single-letter codes on Indian Railways. It is administered by the South East Central Railway zone's Raipur division, is the busiest station in its zone, and is counted among the highest revenue-earning stations in India.
The story of Raipur
Raipur's railway came with the development of the line across central India between Nagpur and Bengal:
- 1887: the Bengal Nagpur Railway is formed to take over and upgrade the Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway.
- 1888: Raipur station opens.
- 1 February 1891: the main line opens for goods traffic.
- 1931: the Parvatipuram–Raipur line is completed, linking Raipur south-east towards the Andhra coast.
- 1935–45: the Bilaspur–Bhilai section is electrified, early for the region.
Platforms at Raipur
The station has 7 platforms, numbered 1, 1A, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, so there is no platform 4. It is 314 metres or so above sea level.
Lines
Raipur sits on the Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai main line, one of India's great east–west trunk routes, with branches towards Visakhapatnam and the Andhra coast. Heavy coal and steel freight traffic moves through the region, including to the Bhilai steel plant nearby.
Services from Raipur
Raipur has Vande Bharat and many express trains to Nagpur, Mumbai, Howrah, Delhi, Visakhapatnam and other cities. Vande Bharat and express timings through Raipur are in our timetable search.
Links around Raipur
- Road: autos, taxis and city buses from Station Road.
- Nearby: Durg and Bhilai are a short distance west on the main line, and Naya Raipur (Atal Nagar), the new capital area, is reached by road.
Raipur pointers
- When you see just "R" on a ticket or display board, that means Raipur.
- Look for platform 1A as well as 1; there is no platform 4.
- Late-running trains on the Howrah–Mumbai trunk are easy to follow on live running status.