Naveen urges PM to upgrade rail infra for Nabakalebar

Stresses on augmenting capacity on Cuttack-Bhubaneswar-Khurda-Puri route and providing enhanced passenger amenities at Bhubaneswar and Puri stations

Ahead of the Nabakalebar festival of Puri Jagannath Temple in July 2015, which is likely to witness a huge congregation of tourists, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to augment rail infrastructure to cope up with the projected surge in traffic during the festival.

Patnaik has stressed on augmenting line capacity on the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar-Khurda-Puri rail line and providing enhanced passenger amenities at Bhubaneswar and Puri railway stations. Since most of the trains approaching Puri from northern and eastern directions pass through the busy Cuttack-Baranga-Bhubaneswar-Khurda section, the Railways had sanctioned the third line for Khurda-Bhubaneswar-Barang and approved a double line between Barang and Khurda. Both these projects were sanctioned in 2003-04.

While work on the third line between Khurda and Bhubaneswar has been completed, that on the Bhubaneswar-Barang (16 km) stretch is pending. Also, work on doubling of the Barang-Khurda rail link is yet to be completed.

In addition, the state government had sent a proposal to the Railway Board for construction of 1.3 km by-pass line costing around Rs 20 crore, avoiding Khurda Road junction. The bypass would ensure that trains approaching Puri from South can directly go to Puri without detention at Khurda station and subsequent reversal of engine. Patnaik has called for stepping up work on these projects on a priority basis to ensure their completion before July 2015.

Keeping in view the Nabakalebar festival, East Coast Railway (ECoR) has proposed to construct a big Yatri Mela shed at Puri. Construction of two additional platforms is underway at Bhubaneswar station.

ECoR has also proposed a modern station at Bhubaneswar with increased area for passenger amenities at a cost of Rs 80 crore. The Odisha government has agreed to provide Rs 40 crore for this project. Patnaik rued that work relating to modernisation of the Bhubaneswar railway station has not been included in the Railway Budget for 2014-15.