**Executive Summary**
This report details significant advancements in railway track commissioning in Odisha, with a 3.5 times increase in commissioned track length from 267 km (2009-14) to 2,150 km (2014-25). Budgetary allocations for Odisha's infrastructure and safety projects have also seen a substantial rise, from ₹838 Cr./year (2009-14) to an estimated ₹10,599 Cr. (2025-26). The document outlines sanctioned and recently completed projects, as well as ongoing initiatives.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Budgetary Allocations**
* Budget allocation for infrastructure and safety projects in Odisha has increased significantly.
* Allocation for 2009-14 was ₹838 Cr./year.
* The projected allocation for 2025-26 is ₹10,599 Cr., an increase of nearly 13 times.
**Track Construction Achievements (2014-25)**
* A total of 2,150 km of new track was commissioned, a more than 3.5 times increase compared to 267 km in 2009-14.
* The Khurda Road-Bolangir New Line saw 226 km commissioned, with all seven tunnels on the Daspalla-Purunakatak section excavated.
* 57 km of the Salegaon-Budhapank 3rd and 4th Line were commissioned, along with 6 major bridges and 2 stations completed on the remaining 28 km.
**Sanctioned Projects (as of 01.04.2025)**
* 49 projects, totaling 4,010 km and costing ₹67,496 crore, have been sanctioned in Odisha.
* These include 19 New Lines and 30 Doubling/Multi-tracking projects.
* As of March 2025, 1,429 km have been commissioned with an expenditure of ₹28,043 crore.
**Recently Completed Projects**
* The document lists eight recently completed projects, including new lines and third/fourth line constructions, with costs ranging from ₹1,227 crore to ₹3,200 crore.
**Ongoing Projects**
* A list of 21 ongoing projects is provided, with total costs ranging from ₹492 crore for the Puri-Konark New Line to ₹6,996 crore for the Vizianagram-Titlagarh 3rd Line.
**Major Project Progress**
* **Khurda Road-Bolangir (301 km) new line:** Latest cost is ₹5,089 crore, with ₹4,311 crore incurred by March 2025 and an outlay of ₹1938 crore for 2025-26. Portions are commissioned, while others are under construction.
* **Salegaon-Budhapank (85 Rkm) 3rd and 4th line:** Work is underway, with some sections commissioned and others involving land acquisition, forest land diversion, bridge construction, and station development.
**Factors Affecting Project Sanction and Completion**
* Project sanction depends on traffic projections, remunerativeness, connectivity, missing links, line augmentation, government demands, operational requirements, socio-economic considerations, and fund availability.
* Project completion is influenced by land acquisition, forest clearance, utility shifting, statutory clearances, geological conditions, law and order, and working months.
**Current Train Services**
* The Bhubaneswar-Rayagada-Jeypore-Koraput sector is served by a daily train.
* Koraput is connected to Kottavalasa by three pairs of train services.
* Kottavalasa is connected to Bhubaneswar by six pairs of train services.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholders:** Ministry of Railways, State Government of Odisha, Public Representatives, Railway Users
**Impact**
* **Ministry of Railways:** Enhanced operational capacity, improved connectivity, increased passenger and freight movement potential, and achievement of infrastructure development goals.
* **State Government of Odisha:** Improved infrastructure leading to economic development, better connectivity for its citizens, and potential for increased tourism and industrial growth.
* **Public Representatives:** Fulfillment of promises to constituents regarding improved railway infrastructure and services.
* **Railway Users:** Improved accessibility, reduced travel times, increased train services, and better connectivity to various regions.
**Action Required**
* **Ministry of Railways:** Continue to oversee project execution, ensure timely completion of ongoing projects, and manage budgetary allocations effectively.
* **State Government of Odisha:** Facilitate land acquisition, forest clearances, and other necessary statutory approvals to expedite project progress.
* **Public Representatives:** Advocate for continued investment and support for railway projects in Odisha.
* **Railway Users:** Provide feedback on services and potentially benefit from expanded network and improved services.
Key Entities Referenced
Odisha: Location central to the policy's scope, detailing railway track commissioning and projects.
Ministry of Railways: The governing body responsible for railway infrastructure and development initiatives.
Khurda Road-Bolangir new line: A significant railway project within Odisha, with specific details on its commissioning and status.
Salegaon-Budhapank 3rd and 4th line: Another key railway project in Odisha, highlighting the construction of additional lines and related infrastructure.
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw: Union Minister for Railways, who provided information on the railway projects in response to a question in Rajya Sabha.
Ministry of Railways
New Railway Track Commissioning in Odisha
Registers Over 3.5 Times Increase; 2,150 km
Commissioned During 2014–25 as Against 267
km in 2009–14
226 Km of Khurda Road-Bolangir New Line Commissioned,
All Seven Tunnels Excavated on Final 75-Km Daspalla-
Purunakatak Section
57 Km of Salegaon-Budhapank 3rd and 4th Line
Commissioned; 6 Major Bridges and 2 Stations Complete on
Remaining 28 Km
Posted On: 13 MAR 2026 5:43PM by PIB Delhi
Railway has taken up infrastructure upgradation in Odisha in a big way.
Railway Budget:
Budget allocation in the recent years has increased significantly. Budget allocation for infrastructure
projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of Odisha is as under:
Period Outlay
2009-14 ₹ 838 Cr./year
2025-26 ₹ 10,599 Cr. (Nearly 13 times)
Track Construction:
The details of commissioning/laying of new track falling fully/partly in the State of Odisha during 2009-
14 and 2014-25 is as under:
Period New Track Average Commissioning of new tracks per year
Commissioned
2009-14 267 Km 53 Km2014-25 2,150 Km 195 Km
(More than 3.5 times)
Project Sanctioned:
As on 01.04.2025, 49 projects (19 New Lines and 30 Doubling), of a total length of 4,010 Km, costing ₹
67,496 crore, falling fully/partly in Odisha, are sanctioned, out of which 1,429 km length has been
commissioned and an expenditure of ₹28,043 crore has been incurred upto March’ 2025. The summary is
as under:-
Category No of Total Length Length Commissioned Total Exp
sanctioned till Mar'25 upto Mar'25
NL/GC/DL
Projects (in Km)
(₹ in Cr)
(in Km)
New Lines 19 1,544 256 6,270
Doubling/Multi- 30 2,466 1,173 21,773
tracking
Total 49 4,010 1,429 28,043
Recently Completed Projects:
Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in Odisha are as under:
SN Name of Project Cost
(In Crores of ₹)
1 Daitari-Banspani New Line and Jakhapura-Haridaspur 3rd Line (179 1,317
Km)
2 Jharsuguda - Sardega New Line (50 Km) 1,598
3 Haridaspur-Paradeep New Line (82 Km) 2,397
4 Angul-Sukinda New Line (104 Km) 2,834
5 Champa-Jharsuguda 3rd Line (152 Km) 1,227
6 Sambalpur-Titlagarh Doubling (182 Km) 2,262
7 Rourkela-Jharsuguda 3rd Line (101 Km) 1,313
8 Banspani-Daitari-Tomka-Jakhapura Doubling (164 Km) 1,8279 Sambalpur-Talcher Doubling (174 Km) 1,539
10 Raipur - Titlagarh Doubling (203 Km) 1,171
11 Jharsuguda-Sardega Doubling (50 Km) 3,200
Ongoing Projects:
Further, some of the main projects falling fully/partly in Odisha which have been taken up are as under:
SN Name of Project Total Cost
(In Crores of ₹)
1 Junagarh-Nabarangpur New Line (116 Km) 2,865
2 Nabarangpur-JeyporeNew Line (41 Km) 748
3 Jeypore-Malkangiri New Line (130 Km) 2,344
4 Malkangiri – Pandurangapuram New Line (174 Km) 3,592
5 Buramara-Chakulia New Line (60 Km) 1,459
6 Gunupur-Therubali New Line (74 Km) 1,166
7 Puri - Konark New Line (32 Km) 492
8 Badampahar-Kendujhargarh New Line (82 Km) 1,876
9 Bangriposi-Gorumahisani New Line (86 Km) 2,269
10 Bargarh Road-Nawapara Road New Line (138 Km) 2,622
11 Vizianagram-Titlagarh 3rd Line (265 Km) 6,996
12 Jarapada- Budhapank 3rd& 4th Line with flyover at Talcher (101 810
Km)
13 Budhapank- Salegaon via Rajatgarh 3rd& 4th Line (170 Km) 2,023
14 Nergundi - Vizianagaram 3rd Line (385 Km) 4,963
15 Kottavalasa-Koraput Doubling (189 Km) 2,500
16 Koraput-Singapur Road Doubling (165 Km) 2,36217 Jagdalpur-Koraput Doubling (107 Km) 1,547
18 Jharsuguda-Bilaspur 4th line (206 Km) 2,596
19 Bondamunda-Ranchi Doubling (159 Km) 3,029
20 Narayangarh-Bhadrak 3rd line (153 Km) 2,136
21 Bhadrak-Nergundi 3rd Line (92 Km) 1,284
The progress of some of the major projects is as under:
1. Khurda Road-Bolangir (301 Km) new line: The latest cost of the project is ₹5,089 crore. Expenditure
of ₹4,311 crore has been incurred on this project upto March, 2025. An outlay of ₹1938 crore has also
been provided in the financial year 2025-26. Status of project is as under:-
Khurda Road – Daspalla (106 Km) : Commissioned
Daspalla – Purunakatak (75 Km) : Works have been taken up.
Purunakatak – Bolangir (120 Km) : Commissioned
Status of Daspalla – Purunakatak (75 km) is as under:-
SN Activity Scope Status
1 Tunnel 7 nos (11.96 6 nos completed (7.7 Km).Works taken up in balance 1
Km) tunnel
2 Important Bridge 5 All completed
3 Station Building 5 Works have been taken up
2. Construction of 3rd and 4th line between Salegaon- Budhapank(85 Rkm): The work has been taken
up. Status is as below:-
Salegaon – Rajathgarh (23 Km) : Commissioned
Rajathgarh – Dhenkanal (20 Km) : Land acquisition & forest land diversion completed. 4 major
bridges completed. Balance work has been taken up.
Dhenkanal – Meramundali (34 Km) : Commissioned
Meramundali – Budhapank (8 Km) : Land acquisition & forest land diversion completed. 2major
bridges and 2 stations completed. Balance work has been taken up.
Sanction of any railway project depends upon many parameters/factors which include the following:
Anticipated traffic projections and Remunerativeness of the proposed route
First and last mile connectivity provided by the project
Connection of missing links and providing additional route
Augmentation of congested/saturated lines
Demands raised by State Governments/Central Ministries/Public representatives,
Railway’s operational requirements
Socio-economic considerations
Overall availability of fundsCompletion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include the following:
Land acquisition
Forest clearance
Shifting of infringing utilities
Statutory clearances from various authorities
Geological and topographical conditions of area
Law and order situation in the area of project site
Number of working months in a year for particular project site etc.
All these factors affect the completion time and cost of the project/s.
Presently, Bhubaneswar–Rayagada–Jeypore–Koraput sector is being served by the daily service of
18447/18448 Bhubaneswar-Jagdalpur Hirakhand Express. Moreover, Koraput is connected to Kottavalasa
by 03 pairs of train services while Kottavalasa is further connected to Bhubaneswar by 06 pairs of train
services. These train services are listed below:
Trains serving Koraput-Kottavalasa sector:
SN Train No & Name
1 18515/18516 Kirandul - Visakhapatnam Express
2 58501/58502 Kirandul - Visakhapatnam Passenger
3 58537/58538 Koraput - Visakhapatnam Passenger
Trains serving Kottavalasa- Bhubaneswar sector:
SN Train No & Name
1 16107/16108 Tambaram - Santragachi Amrit Bharat Express
2 16597/16598 SMVT Bengaluru - Alipurduar Amrit Bharat Express
3 16523/16524 SMVT Bengaluru - Balurghat Express
4 16223/16224 SMVT Bengaluru - Radhikapur Express
5 17015/17016 Secunderabad - Bhubaneswar Visakha Express
6 18045/18046 Charlapalli - Shalimar East Coast Express
This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and
Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha
today.
*****
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