Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his Balangir visit will inaugurate railway projects worth Rs 1510 crore, including 19 km new Balangir-Bichhupali railway line.
During his visit, he will also flag off a new train between Balangir and Bichupali. This route is part of the 289 km Balangir-Khurda rail corridor project and the first stretch to be inaugurated from the Balangir side. It has been built at a cost of about Rs 115 crore.
Modi’s trip to Balangir will be his third visit to Odisha withing a month. His back-to-back visit also underlines BJP’s increased focus on the State ahead of the polls to the State Assembly and general elections.
Rail projects to be dedicated by Modi:
- Multi-model logistics park at Jharsuguda.
- Electrification of Jharsuguda-Vizianagaram (813 km) and Sambalpur-Angul railway lines.
- Doubling of Barpali-Dunguripali and Balangir-Deogaon road railway lines.
- Inauguration of Balangir-Bichhupali (new line)
- Flagging off of train on the new Balangir-Bichhupali railway line
The Balangir station has been given a face life ahead of the PM’s high-profile visit. Railways have installed a coach indicator, train indicator, facilities for lifting of garbage and polythene, renovation and upgradation of platform No 4 and new drinking water facility.
The electrification of the Angul-Sambalpur rail stretch is expected to cut down travel time of trains originating from Puri and Bhubaneswar and connecting western part of Odisha and beyond. Engine reversal at Angul would also come to an end.
Modi will arrive from Raipur at Balangir. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Ministers including Dharmendra Pradhan and Piyush Goyal are expected to attend the event.
