Vadodara: The long wait of people in the region ended as the Vadodara Division of Western Railway formally started DEMU train services from Pratapnagar to Miyagam Karjan via Dabhoi after completion of broad-gauge conversion works. The service was inaugurated in the presence of Dabhoi MLA Shailesh Mehta (Sotta), Vadodara Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Raju Bhadke, other railway officials and local leaders, who flagged off the train.

The new service has been introduced after converting the decades-old narrow-gauge line into broad gauge and completing all mandatory safety inspections. The train will run from Pratapnagar to Miyagam Karjan via Dabhoi, with stoppages at stations including Nada, Baripura, Mandala and Kayavarohan. Railway officials said the service will make travel easier and more affordable for daily commuters, traders and students in the region.

Officials also announced that two new platforms will be constructed at Dabhoi railway station to strengthen its connectivity. Efforts are underway to provide stoppages for important express trains running towards Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), and in future, passengers from Dabhoi may get direct booking and improved connectivity to major cities such as Mumbai and Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, DRM Raju Bhadke said the Miyagam–Dabhoi section holds a special place in railway history. The 32.3-km line is one of the oldest narrow-gauge sections of the Vadodara division, originally built in 1862 under the Gaekwad Baroda State Railway and later integrated into Western Railway. The section was closed for gauge conversion, and after completion of the broad-gauge work, passenger services have now been restored. He said the new service will benefit students, workers, traders and residents of surrounding areas by providing faster, reliable and economical transport.

In Karjan, local residents also welcomed the resumption of train services, which had remained suspended for nearly seven years due to gauge conversion work.

Residents said the earlier narrow-gauge train service had been running since the British era and was an important lifeline for villages in the area. With the completion of the broad-gauge project, daily commuters travelling for jobs, education and business are expected to benefit. Railway officials also said that services on the Karjan–Choranda–Moti Coral section are expected to start in the future, further improving connectivity in the region. DeshGujarat