Sawai Madhopur Railway Station is the most busy in passenger traffic and revenue in the Rajasthan state. This has become possible due to the presence of Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur. The express and superfast trains barely fulfill their criteria as intercity trains because the railway track from Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, to Sawai Madhopur has not been doubled. Despite years of demands for the doubling of the railway track, work has not started even 10 months after the budget, which was announced for Rs 1,268.57 crore.
The speed of trains has also been hampered on this route due to the single-track nature extending for 131.27 km. Problems related to rail-to-crossing and clearance lead to stoppages for passing trains at outer signals and at small stations, adversely impacting approximately 1.8 lakh passengers every month.
15+ Trains Operate Sawai Madhopur
There are about 15 or so trains running between Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur at present, depending on whether you look at weekly trains or regular ones. Only five of them are regular, daily services; others operate weekly or once, twice, or thrice a week to varying destinations.
Many Trains Are Express in Name Only
This train is an express one referred to by the railways. The Bayana-Jaipur Express and the Jodhpur-Bhopal Express, for instance, stop at every small station on their route from Sawai Madhopur to Jaipur. The same goes for a superfast train like the Jaipur Superfast, which gets blocked up with stoppages at smaller stations due to line clearance.
Monthly Passenger Load of Approximately 1.80 Lakh
The Sawai Madhopur railway station was previously known as a Heritage Station by Indian Railways. It is the second largest in the Kota division concerning passenger load and revenue, after Kota, mostly due to the presence of the Ranthambore National Park. The average daily passenger load here is around 6,000, collecting around Rs. 7 lakh per day in revenue for the railways, which would work out to over Rs. 2 crore monthly.
Why It’s Necessary… Visitors from Across the Country
The route between Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur would also connect to many sacred places such as Ranthambore, Trinetra Ganesh Temple, Chauth Mata at Chauth Ka Barwara, and Shivad Gushmeshwar Mahadev Temple, in addition to educational establishments like Vanasthali. The doubling of the railway line would augment the connectivity of the remaining citizens of the entire country towards that direction, which would certainly increase tourism, pilgrimage, and many other activities.
Track – A New Perspective
Length: 131.27 kilometers
Estimated cost: Rs. 1,268.57 crore
Construction period: The work is expected to be completed by 2029-30, but a date has yet to be set for commencement.
Indeed, the doubling of the Jaipur-Sawai Madhopur railway line has not yet commenced. Additionally, the passenger trains were not providing any concessions in fares declared express during the Covid period; such decisions are taken at a higher level.
Lokendra Meena, Station Superintendent, Sawai Madhopur
