Gangji laid the first railway tracks from Rajnandgaon to Bilaspur,and in that same year fellow Kutchi contractor Mistri Khoda Ramji built the line from Bilaspur to Jharsuguda, including the bridge over the Champa river.
In 1890 the present railway station and yard were constructed by the famous Gujarati railway contractor Jagmal Gangji. His son Mulji Jagmal Sawaria was later given the title of "Rao Sahib" by the British for his contribution to the development of the town, railways and the district. Jagmal Block and Jagmal Chowk in the city are named after Jagmal Gangji Sawaria.
In 1901, the population of Bilaspur was 18,937 and it was eighth-largest town in the Central Provinces of British India. In 1908, weaving of tasar silk and cotton clothes were recorded as the major industries of Bilaspur
