Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday described the long-pending Khurda Road-Balangir railway line, which is nearing completion, as a “historic milestone” in enhancing Odisha’s connectivity and fostering regional development.
The project was first surveyed in 1947 shortly after India’s independence.
“A historic milestone for Odisha’s connectivity and regional development. The long-awaited Khurda Road–Balangir Rail Line is nearing completion, ushering in a new era of growth, mobility, and economic progress across the state. This transformative project reflects our commitment to inclusive infrastructure, balanced regional development, and eco-sensitive, sustainable progress,” the CM posted on X.
Majhi added that the project would boost regional economies in districts like Nayagarh, Boudh, Sonepur, and Balangir, strengthen access to markets and new livelihood opportunities and give a major push to tourism and local enterprise.
Spanning approximately 301 km, the broad-gauge line will link Khurda Road with Balangir, passing through the districts of Khurda, Nayagarh, Boudh, Sonepur, and Balangir. This east-west corridor aims to bridge coastal and western Odisha, addressing longstanding gaps in transportation infrastructure.
Around 226 km of the line, including sections from Khurda Road to Daspalla and from Balangir to Purunakatak via Sonepur, serving about 20 stations, is already operational. This has brought rail connectivity to Nayagarh (2017), Sonepur (2024), and Boudh (recently) for the first time in decades. a major portion of the new line — a 75km stretch between Daspalla in Nayagarh district and Purunakatak in Boudh district — passes alongside Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary (an integral part of Satkosia Tiger Reserve) and a proposed Brutang irrigation project in Nayagarh.
The project incorporates advanced engineering features, including seven tunnels over 12.76 km (with the longest exceeding 4 km in Boudh district), a notable 4.77 km viaduct (India’s second-longest railway viaduct over the Bhrutang Reservoir), and eco-friendly measures such as dedicated wildlife underpasses and overpasses to minimise habitat fragmentation and reduce human-animal conflicts.
It includes the 75km forested stretches between Daspalla in Nayagarh district and Purunakatak in Boudh district, where it passes alongside Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary, an integral part of Satkosia Tiger Reserve, and a proposed Brutang irrigation project in Nayagarh.
Earlier, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had highlighted the project’s transformative potential, noting its role in revolutionising Odisha’s connectivity. Once fully operational, targeted for completion by early next year or by the end of 2026, the line is expected to drastically cut travel times between Bhubaneswar and Balangir, enhance access to education, healthcare, markets, and livelihood opportunities, and stimulate trade, tourism, and economic growth in underserved western districts.
