There is no direct train from Bhopal to Dehradun in erail's listing. The fastest train to Haridwar (HW) is the 12171 LTT-Haridwar AC Express, leaving Bhopal Jn (BPL) at 20:30 and reaching HW at 12:35 (16h 05m, runs Monday and Thursday); from Haridwar the academy is about 60 km by road (an OSRM estimate).
NDA coaching for Bhopal students
Live and train in Dehradun, the home of the Indian Military Academy. Students from Bhopal join residential NDA, CDS and SSB batches with hostel and mess on campus.
FromBhopal
~990 km by road (estimate)
ToDehradun campus
For Bhopal families
Everything that changes when you join from Bhopal.
Local facts for families travelling to Dehradun: travel, exam centre and schools.
No Bhopal route appears in UTC's published list, so the train is the verified option; check utconline.uk.gov.in for any change.
Bhopal was a UPSC NDA (II) 2026 centre, and a CDS (II) 2026 centre as well.
Nearest: Sainik School Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh), about 270 km in a straight line; within Madhya Pradesh the state's own school is Sainik School Rewa.
RIMC's admission page says one vacancy per State is generally allotted, with up to two for larger States, and its visible text gives no Madhya Pradesh figure. From the December 2026 cycle applications are online through NTA (exams.nta.nic.in/RIMCEE/), the written test is held at NTA centres and the age window is 12½ to 14 years.
XXI Corps (Sudarshan Chakra Corps) is headquartered at Bhopal, and the 3 EME Centre is at Bhopal.
Sources & verification
Facts verified on October 12, 2026. Train times must be re-checked on IRCTC/NTES before travel; road distance and drive time are routing estimates.
- https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notif-NDA-II-2026-Engl-200526.pdf
- https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notif-CDS-II-2026-Engl-200526.pdf
- https://rimc.edu.in/admission.aspx
- https://rimc.edu.in/notice.aspx
- https://www.sainikschoolsociety.in/our-schools
- https://www.sainikschoolsociety.in/our-schools/new-schools
- https://router.project-osrm.org/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal
- https://erail.in/rail/getTrains.aspx?Station_From=BPL&Station_To=HW&DataSource=0&Language=0&Cache=true
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XXI_Corps_(India)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Army_Corps_of_EME
Admission
Four steps from enquiry to joining.
Counselling call
Tell us the class and the entry. We suggest the right batch and share the fee sheet on WhatsApp.
Campus visit or video tour
Visit the classrooms, hostel and mess, or ask for a live video tour if travelling is not possible yet.
Admission & documents
Fill the admission form, share the documents and pay the registration fee.
Joining day
Arrive in Dehradun; your room, kit list and timetable are ready on the first day.
Courses
What students from here join for.
NDA
National Defence Academy and Naval Academy (NDA and NA) Examination
For students after Class 12. Unmarried women can sit the same UPSC examination.
NDA-F
NDA Foundation Course with Class 11-12 schooling, hostel and mess
For students who have passed Class 10 and want schooling and NDA preparation in one programme.
NDA-CRASH
NDA one-month crash course
A short revision batch for candidates who have already covered the syllabus.
CDS
Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination: IMA, INA, AFA and OTA
For graduates and final-year degree students. Women can apply for OTA.
CDS-F
CDS Foundation Course
A longer, foundation-style CDS programme for degree students who start early.
AFCAT
Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT)
For graduates aiming at commissioned entries in the Indian Air Force.
SSB
Services Selection Board (SSB) interview preparation
For candidates who have an SSB call-up or are close to one.
TES
Army 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme (TES) and Navy 10+2 B.Tech Cadet Entry: SSB preparation
These entries are shortlisted on JEE (Main) marks, so the coaching here is the SSB.
MNS
Military Nursing Service (MNS) B.Sc Nursing entrance preparation
For women who want to join the B.Sc Nursing course of the Military Nursing Service.
IMU
Indian Maritime University Common Entrance Test (IMU-CET)
For Class 12 students aiming at IMU programmes and a career at sea.
MERCHANT
Merchant Navy entrance preparation
For Class 12 students exploring Merchant Navy entries through IMU and shipping-sector routes.
RIMC
Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) entrance preparation
For students in Class VII who want admission to Class VIII at RIMC, Dehradun.
SAINIK
All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) preparation
For students seeking Class VI or Class IX entry to a Sainik School.
RMS
Rashtriya Military Schools Common Entrance Test (RMS CET) preparation
For students aiming at Class VI or Class IX entry to a Rashtriya Military School.
AGNI
Agniveer (Army, Navy, Air Force) and Coast Guard entry preparation
For Class 10 and Class 12 candidates aiming at Agniveer and Coast Guard entries.
Questions from Bhopal parents
Ask on WhatsAppIs there a direct train from Bhopal to Dehradun?
No. erail lists none. The fastest listed route is the 12171 LTT-Haridwar AC Express from Bhopal Jn at 20:30 to Haridwar at 12:35 (16h 05m, Mondays and Thursdays), then about 60 km by road to the academy.
How far is Bhopal from the academy by road?
About 990 km. An OSRM free-flow estimate gives 11.8 hours; real journeys are usually longer because of traffic, ghat roads and stops.
Do Bhopal students have to travel to write the NDA paper?
No. UPSC listed Bhopal as a centre for NDA (II) 2026 and CDS (II) 2026, so the paper can be written in the city.
Which Sainik School serves Madhya Pradesh?
Sainik School Rewa. The society has also approved six partnership schools in the state, and the nearest school outside it is Sainik School Jhansi, about 270 km from Bhopal in a straight line.
Can a Bhopal student start after Class 10?
Yes. The NDA Foundation course pairs schooling for Class 11 and 12 with NDA preparation. The fee is published on the Fee Structure page (/fee-structure/).
Admissions