The Indian Railways has launched an inquiry into the alignment of the Khajuraho-Panna railway line in Madhya Pradesh, citing safety concerns over six sharp curves along the route. Officials revealed that the original alignment, approved in 2021, was found to be “dangerous” due to multiple bends, exceeding safety norms that recommend curve limits of 40 MM for speeds under 80 km/h.
The railway line project, costing approximately ₹2,100 crore, was planned to cover 72 km with 47 bridges and six stations. The first phase involved constructing a 16 km stretch from Khajuraho to Surajpura. Forest clearance for diverting 314 hectares was obtained in 2019, leading to the felling of 54,578 trees before construction began.
However, in 2025, just prior to commencing construction, the alignment was scrapped following complaints about its hazardous design. Subsequently, the West Central Railway (WCR) was directed by the Ministry of Railways to form a three-member technical committee to investigate how the unsafe alignment received approval and to identify those responsible for the environmental damage and planning errors.
WCR Public Relations Officer Harshit Shrivastava stated that the committee will examine why the original route’s flaws went unnoticed and why alignment changes occurred after significant expenditure and environmental impact. The new alignment, currently being finalized, will be located approximately one kilometer away from the original track and will require about 230 hectares of forest land. This change is expected to result in the cutting of roughly 50,000 additional trees.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has mandated that experts study all possible route options to minimize environmental damage and preserve trees. The ministry also committed to planting twice the number of trees lost before the upcoming monsoon season.
Environmental activist Ajay Dubey criticized the project’s impact, highlighting its disruption of the Panna Tiger Reserve buffer zone’s flora and fauna. He called for accountability regarding the officers who approved the flawed route, emphasizing that felling over 100,000 trees is a serious offense.
The inquiry and reassessment mark a key step towards reconciling railway infrastructure development with environmental conservation in this ecologically sensitive region.
