"Odisha secures ₹9,000 crore for four new railway projects following clearance from the Railway Board."

The Railway Board has approved four new railway line projects in Odisha, marking a major boost to rail infrastructure in the state. The projects, spanning a combined length of 312 km, will be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹9,020.58 crore under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The approved broad-gauge lines under the East Coast Railway (ECoR) include the 101-km Jajpur Keonjhar Road–Dhamra line, the 112.5-km Luburi–Tentuloi–Budhapank line, the 49-km Tikiri–Kutrumali line and the 49.58-km Balaram–Putagdia–Tentuloi line.

Part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Purvodaya vision, the Jajpur Keonjhar Road–Dhamra Port line is aimed at improving connectivity to key religious and tourist destinations across Jajpur, Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts. Estimated to cost ₹2,987.13 crore, the line will have 10 stations and provide direct rail access to prominent sites such as the Maa Biraja temple at Jajpur Town, the Baba Akhandalamani shrine at Aradi in Bhadrak, and Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara.

The remaining three projects form part of dedicated freight corridors designed to enable faster movement of goods. The Balaram–Putagdia–Tentuloi line will serve as the inner corridor, while the Luburi–Tentuloi–Budhapank line will function as the outer corridor of the Talcher coal belt. The Tikiri–Kutrumali line will facilitate the transport of bauxite from the Kutrumali and Sijumali mines in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts.

To support the planned expansion of coal evacuation, the government has decided to fast-track both the inner and outer rail corridors. As per projections by Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, coal dispatch by rail is expected to reach 162.8 million tonnes by 2029–30. The inner corridor (Phase II) and outer corridor of Mahanadi Coal Railway Ltd (MCRL) are estimated to cost ₹1,404.36 crore and ₹3,477.67 crore respectively, while the Tikiri–Kutrumali line will require an investment of ₹1,151.42 crore. These projects will be executed through joint ventures or special purpose vehicles.

Sources said the Railway Board has advised ECoR to hold consultations with stakeholders and potential investors for project design and financial structuring under the PPP framework. The Board has also directed scrutiny of other proposed rail projects for which detailed project reports have been completed or are under preparation.

Zonal railways have been instructed to set up PPP facilitation units at the senior administrative grade (SAG) level, comprising engineering, finance and traffic officials, to plan and monitor PPP initiatives.

Welcoming the decision, lawyer Satyaprakash Behuria, who has been involved in campaigns seeking early execution of the Jajpur Keonjhar Road–Dhamra line, said the project would meet a long-standing demand of people in three districts. “It will reduce the distance between Jajpur Road and Dhamra Port by 12 km, benefit around 30 lakh people and significantly improve freight movement,” he said.