Dikhyaa Mohanty 
More rail lines than the entire rail network of Sri Lanka have been built in Odisha in the past ten years—1826 kilometres. said Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Railways. Vaishnaw carried out a comprehensive evaluation of ongoing projects in the area, especially those under the control of the East Coast Railway (ECoR). The review meeting brought to light important developments as well as obstacles, emphasizing how urgently infrastructure improvement is needed.
ECoR General Manager Parmeshwar Funkwal, all Principal Heads of Departments, Senior Officials from ECoR Headquarters, H.S. Bajwa, the Divisional Railway Manager of Khurda Road, and Branch Officers from the Khurda Road Division were present at the meeting. Vaishnaw emphasized throughout the meeting the need to identify and address issue areas in ongoing projects.
In order to accelerate the Khurda Road-Balangir Rail Line’s early completion, tunnels measuring roughly seven kilometres will be built concurrently from both ends. Additionally, steps will be conducted to link the main tunnel with the national highway via this route. Furthermore, work on the Talcher-Bimalagarh New Line will continue simultaneously from the Bimalagarh and Talcher sides. The Railway Ministry and the Chief Minister’s office of Odisha will shortly have a review meeting to discuss the concerns and expedite the completion of ongoing railway projects in the State.
“Special focus to be given to the redevelopment of Amrit Stations. Review for ongoing construction works of Amrit Stations will be done shortly next time. Honourable Prime Minister has given Special focus to Odisha and sanctioned 10,536 crores for infrastructural development of Railways, an all-time-high budgetary provision. Various steps have been taken to connect all districts of Odisha to the Railway Network”. Vaishnaw said.
“ECoR has been a target for construction of 500 km of rail line in the current financial year,” Vaishnaw continued. ECoR completed 450 km of rail line in the most recent fiscal year. The extension of train lines has been prioritized, highlighting its significance for connectivity and economic growth. The Ministry’s commitment to accelerating railway development in Odisha, guaranteeing effective project execution, and raising the caliber of railway services was highlighted in Union Minister Vaishnaw’s review. The ECoR region’s infrastructural growth and operational excellence are the goals of the Railway Minister’s orders.
