South East Central Railway (SECR)

The South East Central Railway (SECR) is one of the nineteen railway zones of Indian Railways. It was officially formed on April 1, 2003, by carving out areas from the South Eastern Railway zone to give focused administrative attention to the mineral-rich central regions of the country. Rail operations in this region date back to the late nineteenth century under the historical Bengal Nagpur Railway. Today, the administrative headquarters of the South East Central Railway is located in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.

This railway zone covers a major region in central and eastern India, spanning primarily across the state of Chhattisgarh, along with parts of neighboring Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Odisha. To run its daily operations efficiently, the zone is organized into three main administrative divisions: Bilaspur, Raipur, and Nagpur. Together, these divisions look after thousands of kilometers of tracks, major repair workshops, and hundreds of passenger stations. Because of its location across heavily forested, hilly, and industrial terrain, managing this zone requires dedicated planning for both passenger and freight transit.

South East Central Railway operates key stations and transit hubs across the region, including Bilaspur Junction, Raipur Junction, Durg Junction, Gondia Junction, and Nagpur (SECR). The zone runs several important long-distance and intercity passenger trains, including the Chhattisgarh Express, Amarkantak Express, Azad Hind Express, and Vande Bharat Express services connecting the region to distant metropolitan cities. It also carries millions of passengers and local travelers every year to important regional centers, educational hubs, and nature destinations across central India.