**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Railways issued this notification on April 16, 2026, to formally designate three infrastructure projects in Odisha as "Special Railway Projects." Exercising powers under the Railways Act, 1989, the Central Government establishes this classification effective from the date of the document's publication in the Official Gazette. The notification aims to provide legal recognition to specific new lines and track expansions within the East Coast Railway jurisdiction.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Legal and Administrative Authority**
* The notification is issued under Clause (37A) of Section 2 of the Railways Act, 1989.
* The designation of "Special Railway Project" takes effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette.
* The notification was issued by the East Coast Railway (Construction) department in Bhubaneswar.
**Specific Notified Projects (Odisha)**
* **Cuttack-Badabandha Expansion:** Development of the 3rd and 4th lines covering a distance of 72 kilometers.
* **Bhadrak to Haridaspur Expansion:** Construction of a 4th line spanning 75.05 kilometers.
* **Jajpur Keonjhar Road to Dhamra Port:** Construction of a new railway line spanning 101.26 kilometers, routed via Jajpur and Aradi.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Railways / East Coast Railway (Construction)**
**Impact**
The identified projects are now legally classified as "Special Railway Projects," providing them with a distinct status under the Railways Act, 1989.
**Action Required**
The Chief Engineer (Con-III) and relevant departments must proceed with the construction and implementation of the specified lines according to the requirements for special projects.
**Controller of Publications / Department of Printing**
**Impact**
Responsible for the formal dissemination of the government notification.
**Action Required**
Must ensure the notification (S.O. 1928(E)) is published in the Extraordinary Gazette of India to make the designation legally effective.
Key Entities Referenced
Railways Act, 1989: The primary legislation under which the Central Government exercised powers (specifically Section 2, Clause 37A) to notify projects.
Special Railway Project: A specific legal classification assigned to railway infrastructure initiatives to facilitate and prioritize their implementation.
Ministry of Railways: The primary central ministry responsible for the notification and oversight of the identified railway expansion projects.
Odisha: The state where all the notified railway projects, including the Cuttack-Badabandha and Bhadrak-Haridaspur lines, are located.
रजिस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
सी.जी.-ओ.आर.-अ.-17042026-271873
CG-OxxRxG-EID-1H7x0x4x2 026-271873
xxxGIDExxx
असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—उप-खण्ड (ii)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (ii)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
सं. 1859] िई ददलली, बहृ स्ट्प जतर्ार, अप्रलै 16, 2026/चत्रै 26, 1948
No. 1859] NEW DELHI, THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026/CHAITRA 26, 1948
रेल मत्रं ालय
[पर्ू वतट रेलर् े(जिमाणव )]
अजधसचू िा
भुर्िेश्वर, 16 अप्रलै , 2026
का.आ. 1928(अ).— केंद्रीय सरकार, रेल अजधजियम, 1989 की धारा 2 के खंड (37 ‘ए’) द्वारा प्रदत्त िजियों का
प्रयोग करत ेहुए, इस अजधजियम के रािपत्र म ेंप्रकािि की तारीख से िीच ेदी गयी सारणी के कॉलम (3) में उजललजखत राज्य में
उि सारणी के कॉलम (2) में यथा उजललजखत पररयोििा को जिम्नजलजखत जर्िेष रेल पररयोििा के रूप म ें अजधसूचिा करती
ह ै।
2727 GI/2026 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
सारणी
जर्िषे रेल पररयोििा
क्रम राज्य / संघ राज्य
पररयोििा का िाम
संख्या
क्षत्रे
(1) (2) (3)
1. कटक-बड़ाब़ाांध़ा के बीच तीसरी और चौथी ल़ाइन (72 ककमी) ओज़ििा
2. भद्रक स े हररद़ासपुर तक चौथी ल़ाइन (75.05 ककमी) ओज़ििा
3. ज़ाजपुर क्योंझर रोड और ध़ामऱा बांदरग़ाह के बीच ज़ाजपरु और अऱाडी के म़ाध्यम स े नई ओज़ििा
ल़ाइन (101.26 ककमी)
[फ़ा. स.ां ईस्ट कोस्ट रेलवे/सीई/कॉन/III/बीबीएस/सीटीसी-बीडीबीए, बीएचसी-एचडीएस और जेजेकेआर-ध़ामऱा/37ए/]
सुधीर कुमार पररदा, मुख्य अजभयन्ता, (जिमावण-III)
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
[East Coast Railway (Construction)]
NOTIFICATION
Bhubaneswar, the 16th April, 2026
S.O. 1928(E).— In exercise of the powers, conferred by Clause (37A) of Section-2 of the Railways Act, 1989,
the Central Government hereby notifies the following project as Special Railway Project as mentioned in column (2) of
the table below in the State mentioned in column (3) of the Table, with effect from the date of publication of this notification
in Official Gazette.
TABLE
Special Railway Project
Sl No Name of the Project State/UT
(1) (2) (3)
1 3rd & 4th line between Cuttack-Badabandha (72Km) Odisha
2 4th line from Bhadrak to Haridaspur (75.05 Km) Odisha
3 New line between Jajpur Keonjhar Road & Dhamra Port via Jajpur & Aradi (101.26Km) Odisha
[F. No. ECoR/CE/CON/III/BBS/CTC-BDBA, BHC-HDS & JJKR-Dhamra/37A/]
SUDHIR KUMAR PARIDA, Chief Engineer (Con-III)
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.