Indore Junction railway station

His Highness the Maharajah Holkar of Indore Sawai Shri Tukojirao Holkar II, in 1870, offered a loan of £10 million sterling for the construction of a rail-line to his capital city of Indore, taking off from the Great Indian Peninsula (G.I.P.) Railway main line.[2] A quick survey was made and Khandwa on the G.I.P. line was chosen as junction point. The alignment was to pass through Sanawad, Kheree Ghat on the Narmada River and then by way of the Choral Valley up the slopes of the Vindhyas to Indore. Maharaja Holkar's contribution accelerated the construction of rail-lines in Malwa region.

During 1870s, a rail line of Holkar State Railway was sanctioned between Khandwa and Indore passing the Mhow Ghat.[3] The Holkar Railway required very heavy works due to very steep gradients (up to 1 in 40) on the Vindhya Ghats. It also involved digging of 4 tunnels aggregating 510 yards in length, deep cuttings and heavy retaining walls. River Narmada was crossed by a bridge of 14 spans, 197 feet each and piers 80 feet above low water level. There are 14 other large bridges with high piers, the highest pier being 152 feet above the bottom of the ravine. The first section Khandwa–Sanawad was opened for traffic on 1.12.1874. The Narmada Bridge was opened for traffic on 5.10.1876 by His Highness the Maharaja of Holkar who named it ‘Holkar-Narmada Bridge’.[4]

Surveys between Indore and Neemuch started long back in 1871–72 when the plan and estimates for the whole project was submitted to the Government of India in 1872–73. Maharaja Jayajirao Scindia of Gwalior agreed to grant a loan of Rs. 7.5 million at 4 per cent per annum interest for the project and the railway was renamed as ‘Scindia–Neemuch Railway’. It also included a branch line to Ujjain from Indore. The Indore–Ujjain branch line was opened in August 1876 and the line was completed in 1879–80.

During the period 1881-1882, the Holkar Railway and Scindia Neemuch Railway merged under a single management and were renamed Rajputana Malwa Railway. In 1882, Khandwa–Indore line extended to Ajmer. The identity of Rajputana Malwa Railway remained for a very short while and its management was taken over by Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Company on 1 January 1885 till 1951.[5]

Indore railway station was reconstructed by B.B. & C.I.company in the year 1921. On 5 November 1951, Western Railway with its headquarters at Mumbai came into existence after merging of B.B. & C.I.Railway with the other State Railways and overtook the administration of Indore Junction. The broad-gauge portion was extended from Ujjain–Maksi–Indore in 1964–66 and the doubling of the Indore–Bhopal sections was completed in during 1993–2001.