**Executive Summary**
This report addresses a parliamentary inquiry regarding the provision of a scheduled stoppage for the Indore-Puri Humsafar Express at Dhenkanal station. It details the current rail connectivity available to the Dhenkanal district and explains the Ministry of Railways' criteria for establishing new train stoppages. No immediate date for the implementation of the requested stoppage was provided, as such decisions remain subject to ongoing operational reviews.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Current Rail Connectivity at Dhenkanal**
* Dhenkanal station is currently served by 60 train services, providing connectivity to major national cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Surat, and Jodhpur.
* The station is serviced by a variety of train types, including Vande Bharat Express, Rajdhani Express, various Express services, and MEMU trains.
* State-wide connectivity within Odisha is maintained through multiple daily services to locations such as Puri, Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, and Sambalpur.
**Status of Humsafar Express**
* The 20917/20918 Indore-Puri Humsafar Express does not currently have a scheduled stoppage at Dhenkanal.
* The service currently provides scheduled stoppages at nearby stations, specifically Angul and Bhubaneswar.
**Criteria for Adding Stoppages**
* The provision of new stoppages on Indian Railways is an ongoing process rather than a fixed event.
* Stoppages are granted based on three primary factors: operational feasibility, resource availability, and traffic justification.
**Impact Analysis**
**Rail Passengers in Dhenkanal**
**Impact**
Passengers in the Dhenkanal district and Lok Sabha Constituency currently have access to 60 train services but lack direct access to the Indore-Puri Humsafar Express from their local station.
**Action Required**
Passengers intending to use the Humsafar Express service must continue to utilize the scheduled stops at Angul or Bhubaneswar.
**Ministry of Railways**
**Impact**
The Ministry is responsible for evaluating the request for a new stoppage against technical and commercial constraints.
**Action Required**
The Ministry must conduct ongoing assessments of traffic justification and operational feasibility to determine if the Humsafar Express can accommodate a stop at Dhenkanal in the future.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Railways: The central government ministry responsible for the development and regulation of India's railway network and services.
Dhenkanal, Odisha: A major city, district headquarters, and Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha which is the focus of the request for a new train stoppage.
Humsafar Express: A specific long-distance train service (running between Indore and Puri) for which an additional stoppage at Dhenkanal was requested.
Indian Railways: The national railway system that manages train operations and determines the feasibility of adding new stoppages based on operational and traffic criteria.