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Getting there · Madhya Pradesh
Pachmarhi Nearest Railway Station: Pipariya, Trains by Class and the Road Up
Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh's only hill station, sits in the Satpura hills with no railway of its own. Its station is Pipariya, on the busy Itarsi–Jabalpur main line, about 50 km below. Here are the trains and fares by class from Bhopal, Jabalpur, Mumbai, Delhi and Howrah, and how to get up the hill.
Photo: Nirmal Paraye, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.
Short answer
The nearest railway station to Pachmarhi is Pipariya (PPI), on the Itarsi–Jabalpur main line, about 50 km below the hill (about 1 h 30 min by road). From Bhopal, the 20173 Vande Bharat reaches Pipariya in about two hours (chair car about ₹595) and the 12061 Jan Shatabdi costs about ₹115 in second sitting. From Mumbai the overnight 12322 Kolkata Mail is about ₹475 Sleeper. From Pipariya, buses and shared jeeps go up to Pachmarhi.
Pachmarhi is a plateau town in the Satpura hills, with waterfalls, cave temples, sal forest and sunset points, inside the Satpura tiger reserve. The railway stays on the plain below, and Pipariya, the station for it, is a busy stop on one of central India's main lines.
How we worked it out. On 6 November 2026 we read the lowest fare per class on ConfirmTkt's route listings for travel on 7 November and checked times on erail. For the road, OpenStreetMap routing sends Pipariya traffic round a long detour, so we use the 50 km given by pachmarhi.com. Check IRCTC before you book. You book every piece yourself: Trip Under is not an agency.
Pipariya and the other stations
| Station (code) | Distance to Pachmarhi by road | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pipariya (PPI) | about 50 km, about 1 h 30 min | The railhead. About 137 trains stop here (indiarailinfo). |
| Itarsi Jn (ET) | about 150 km | A big junction; only if your train skips Pipariya. |
| Bhopal (Rani Kamlapati / Bhopal Jn) | about 220–230 km | Where most people start; direct private buses too. |
| Jabalpur Jn (JBP) | about 250 km | East of Pipariya; fast day trains. |
Infographic · the route
From the train to the hill
Buses and shared jeeps leave from the Pipariya bus stand; MP Tourism has also run a shuttle (pachmarhi.com).
Pachmarhi train ticket price by class
These are the lowest fares per class that ConfirmTkt listed on 6 November 2026 for travel on 7 November.
From Bhopal and Jabalpur (day trains)
| Train | Fares | From → to | Departs → arrives | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20173 Vande Bharat | CC ₹595, EC ₹1,130 | Rani Kamlapati (Bhopal) → Pipariya | 15:30 → 17:28 | Not Tuesday |
| 12061 Jan Shatabdi | 2S ₹115, CC ₹370 | Rani Kamlapati → Pipariya | 17:40 → 20:06 | Daily |
| 22187 Intercity | 2S ₹105, CC ₹350, 3A ₹565 | Rani Kamlapati → Pipariya | 05:15 → 07:38 | Daily |
| 12854 Amarkantak Express | SL ₹180, 3A ₹565, 2A ₹770 | Bhopal Jn → Pipariya | 16:00 → 18:46 | Daily |
| 20174 Vande Bharat | CC ₹695 | Jabalpur → Pipariya | 08:35 → 10:28 | Six days a week |
| 22188 Intercity | 2S ₹110, CC ₹375, 3A ₹565 | Jabalpur → Pipariya | 16:35 → 18:53 | Daily |
From Mumbai, Delhi, Howrah and Pune
| Train | Sleeper | 3A | 2A | From → to | Departs → arrives | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12322 Kolkata Mail | ₹475 | ₹1,225 | ₹1,715 | Mumbai CSMT → Pipariya | 22:15 → 10:46 | Daily |
| 22177 Mahanagari Express | ₹475 | ₹1,225 | ₹1,715 | Mumbai CSMT → Pipariya | 00:15 → 13:13 | Daily |
| 12191 Nizamuddin–Jabalpur Express | ₹495 | ₹1,260 | ₹1,770 | Delhi Hazrat Nizamuddin → Pipariya | 14:05 → 04:58 | Daily |
| 12321 Mumbai Mail | ₹650 | ₹1,650 | ₹2,340 | Howrah → Pipariya | 23:40 → 21:38 next day | Daily |
| 11431 Amrit Bharat Express | ₹530 | – | – | Pune → Pipariya | 15:25 → 07:08 | Saturday |
| Way in | Route | Time | Fare (per person, each way) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train | Bhopal (Rani Kamlapati) → Pipariya, Jan Shatabdi 12061 | 2 h 26 m | ₹115 | Second sitting ₹115, chair car ₹370, leaving 5:40 pm. The faster Vande Bharat 20173 leaves Rani Kamlapati at 3:30 pm, chair car ₹595, not Tuesdays (ConfirmTkt, 6 Nov 2026). Book on IRCTC. |
| Bus | Pipariya → Pachmarhi | 1 h 30 m | ₹110 | About 50 km up the ghat (pachmarhi.com). Buses and shared jeeps run from the Pipariya bus stand; we could not confirm a current timetable or fare (₹60 in a 2017 report), so check locally. |
| Private bus | Bhopal → Pachmarhi direct | 6-8 h | ₹472 | A few private buses (mostly night services) listed on redBus from about ₹470. The train plus bus is faster and cheaper. |
| Flight + road | Bhopal Raja Bhoj airport (BHO) → Pachmarhi | 5 h by road | not confirmed | About 230-235 km by road (pachmarhi.com; OpenStreetMap routing). Taxi fare not confirmed: get a quote before you land. |
The last leg: Pipariya to Pachmarhi
Buses and shared jeeps run from the Pipariya bus stand up to Pachmarhi, about 1 h 30 min. We could not confirm a current timetable or fare: the latest dated report we found was ₹60 (2017), with a first bus around 05:30. MP Tourism has run a shuttle too, but we found no current schedule. Private taxis wait at the station; agree the fare first.
Seeing the sights needs a vehicle. Pachmarhi's waterfalls and viewpoints are inside the Satpura tiger reserve, and the reserve charges for each vehicle and guide (₹300–500 for a light vehicle and ₹600 for a guide on its own website, undated). Plan for a shared gypsy rather than walking between points.
Two days, what it costs
Photo: BSSKrishnaS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A budget guesthouse in the bazaar is about ₹1,500 a night. Two days on the ground come to about ₹3,200 per person on a shoestring and ₹6,800 mid-range at Trip Under's daily rates, before the train; add about ₹115 each way for second sitting from Bhopal.
When to go
Infographic · month by month
Pachmarhi month by month
Month-by-month as text
Jan: Best · Feb: Best · Mar: Good · Apr: Good · May: Good · Jun: Good · Jul: Passable · Aug: Passable · Sep: Good · Oct: Best · Nov: Best · Dec: Best
October to February is the main season: cool and clear, with December and January mornings near single digits. March to June is warmer but still cooler than the plains. July to September is monsoon, when the waterfalls are at their fullest but some viewpoints and trails may be closed for safety. Pachmarhi stays open all year; it gets crowded and pricier on winter weekends and holidays, and at Mahashivratri, when pilgrims climb to Chauragarh.
Frequently asked questions
What is the nearest railway station to Pachmarhi?
Pipariya (PPI), on the Itarsi–Jabalpur main line, about 50 km below Pachmarhi by road.
How do I reach Pachmarhi from Bhopal by train?
Take the 20173 Vande Bharat (Rani Kamlapati 15:30, Pipariya 17:28, chair car about ₹595, not Tuesdays) or the 12061 Jan Shatabdi (17:40 to 20:06, about ₹115 second sitting), then a bus, jeep or taxi up the hill.
Is there a train from Mumbai to Pachmarhi?
To Pipariya, yes: the 12322 Kolkata Mail from Mumbai CSMT (22:15, arriving 10:46) costs about ₹475 Sleeper or ₹1,225 3A.
Is there a direct train from Delhi to Pipariya?
Yes, one: the 12191 from Hazrat Nizamuddin (14:05, arriving 04:58), about ₹495 Sleeper or ₹1,260 3A.
How far is Pachmarhi from Pipariya?
About 50 km, around 1 h 30 min by road.
Which airport is nearest to Pachmarhi?
Bhopal, about 230–235 km by road. Jabalpur is about 269 km.
Sources and how we priced this
- Fares by class and times: ConfirmTkt route listings (Bhopal, Jabalpur, Mumbai, Delhi, Howrah and Pune to Pipariya), read 6 November 2026 for travel on 7 November; times cross-checked on erail.in. Live fares: IRCTC.
- Pipariya–Pachmarhi distance, shared jeeps and the MP Tourism shuttle: pachmarhi.com (undated). Other road distances: OSRM over OpenStreetMap data, 6 November 2026. Number of trains stopping at Pipariya: indiarailinfo (undated).
- Last-leg bus reports: Wanderlog user reviews (2017, 2022). Reserve vehicle and guide charges: satpuratigerreserve.org (undated).
- Stays, daily costs and the season: Trip Under's Pachmarhi page. Budgets: our cost model.
Keep reading
Plan your own Pachmarhi trip
Set your dates, group and travel mode on the Pachmarhi page and see the train, bed and food add up.
Open the Pachmarhi page →Costs come from Trip Under's place data and our cost model (see methodology). They are indicative ballparks for budget travel and move with season and demand. Check live bus, train and room prices before you book. Trip Under is reader-planned, not an agency, and takes no commission on any booking.