Chhattisgarh East Railway Limited (CERL), a joint venture company of South Eastern Coalfields Limited, IRCON International Limited and Government of Chhattisgarh (represented by CSIDC) was incorporated on 12^th March, 2013 for developing the rail network from Kharsia to Dharamjaigarh and further upto Korba with a spur upto Gare-Pelma Block of Coal Mines to meet the logistic challenges foreseen on account of coal evacuation to meet the growing coal needs of the country and providing the region with passenger train connectivity. Ministry of Railways (Government of India) has notified the East Rail Corridor in the State of Chhattisgarh as a ‘Special Railway Project’ to provide national infrastructure for a public purpose.

The role of promoters is to bring the necessity of rail infrastructure and its establishment to a common platform so that the desired objective can be achieved by an association for a limited period. While discharging the promoters’ role, SECL looks for eco-friendly coal evacuation process through Rail, IRCON shares the technical expertise for movement on Rail and GoCG provides the necessary space to lay the Rail. The project is proposed to be constructed in two phases i.e., Kharasia to Dharamjaygarh along with a spur from Gharghoda to Donga Mahua in the First phase and subsequently, from Dharamjaigarh to Korba in the Second phase.