Survey work begins for Rayagada-Gopalpur rail link

The Railways has started the survey work on the feasibility of the 180-km railway link between Gopalpur-on-Sea and the industrial town of Rayagada. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 4 crore for the survey and it is being carried out by a Chennai-based company.

“I had informed the Union Railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on the need for a railway line connecting the industrial belt of Rayagada with the port town of Gopalpur. I thanked him as he included it in the railway budget at the eleventh hour”, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Union minister of state for rural development said after kicking off the survey work at a function held at Gopalpur-on-Sea.

Sahu urged the survey team to expedite the survey work and complete it in the scheduled time by June 2009, so that the budgetary allocation could be made in the next railway budget for construction of the new railway line.

The proposed railway line will pass through Gopalpur-on-Sea, the famous beach resort town, Gopalpur port, Berhampur, Digapahandi, Taptapani in Ganjam district, Mohana and Adava in Gajapati district as well as Gumuda, Theruballi and Rayagada in Rayagada district.

The railway line project assumes significance as it will cater to many alumina refineries concentrated in Rayagada district which is rich in bauxite deposits and also the seasonal port at Gopalpur which is being developed into an all-weather port by a special purpose vehicle called Gopalpur Port Limited (GPL).

The Orissa government has also proposed to develop two minor ports off the Ganjam coast at Pati Sonepur and Palur.

The alumina refinery of National Aluminium Company is located at Damanjodi in Koraput district while its smelter plat is at Anugul. In the absence of a direct railway link between Damonjodi and Angul, the alumina has to be transferred from Koraput to Angul via Vizianagram and the aluminium from Anugul is transported to Visakhapatanam port for exports.

“Once the proposed Gopalpur-Rayagada railway line comes up, there would be a lot of savings on transportation of alumina and aluminum”, said the minister.

“The proposed line is not merely a link between the port city of Gopalpur and the industrial town of Rayagada, it will be a gateway for the development of the mineral rich, but under developed areas of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The tourist inflow to Gopalpur from other parts of the country as well as from abroad would also be increased through the rail route”, he added.