BHUBANESWAR: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has set a target to complete the Sonepur-Purunakatak section (73km) of Khurda Road-Balangir newline project by end of this year. ECoR general manager Manoj Sharma said this on Wednesday while inspecting the newline project.
He reviewed the safety and passenger amenities along with ongoing infrastructure related works between
Khurda Road
and
Daspalla
section of the 301km-long Khurda Road-Balangir newline project.
He also inspected development of the parking area, circulating area, landscaping and various infrastructure related works at Daspalla railway station.
After the commissioning of Nuagaon-Daspalla section recently, railway minister
Ashwini Vaishnaw
will inaugurate Daspalla station and flag off a train to Daspalla station. He will reach Odisha on Friday.
This newline project is important for both the Railways and the state government. “It is closely monitored by Vaishnaw on a regular basis. It will boost the economy of the region and foster socio-cultural connections between western part of the state and coastal Odisha,” said the ECoR official statement.
So far, the Indian Railways has commissioned 152.8 km out of the 301 km Khurda Road-Balangir newline project. As the project is being constructed from both the ends, the ECoR has commissioned around 105 km from Khurda Road to Dasapalla and about 47km from
Balangir
to
Sonepur
.
After commissioning of the rail line upto Sonepur, the ECoR will complete construction of the next section entering Boudh district.
The ECoR has revised the deadline of the project to December 2026. Deadline of the project has changed several times due to delay in land acquisition and diversion of forest land. Cost of the project has been escalated due to the delay. Now work is underway on a war-footing, said the ECoR sources.
Sources said a train will be flagged off from Balangir to newly constructed Sonepur station in the coming days.
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