Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu, who arrived in Odisha on a two-day visit this evening by road, is scheduled to dedicate two major multi-tracking railway projects worth over Rs 732 crore to the nation on Saturday, during an official event at Rairangpur.
The high-profile ceremony will also see the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the central government’s ongoing focus on augmenting transport infrastructure in eastern India.
Developed under East Coast Railway (ECoR), these projects will significantly enhance line capacity, reduce congestion and facilitate smoother movement of passenger as well as freight trains, while strengthening the railway backbone of Odisha and supporting the state’s growing industrial and economic activities.
Among the projects to be inaugurated is the 19-km-long Jakhapura – Jajpur Keonjhar Road – Baitarani Road multi-tracking section, which has been completed at an investment of Rs 323 crore. This specific section is an integral component of the larger Bhadrak-Nergundi multi-tracking initiative, which serves as a vital artery along the heavily congested Howrah–Chennai trunk route. The expansion will provide immediate relief to the corridor, improving train punctuality and ensuring a seamless supply chain for bulk commodities like coal and iron ore heading toward major regional ports, manufacturing hubs, and commercial centres.
The second infrastructure project being unveiled is the 27-km Hindol Road–Meramandali multi-tracking line, built at an estimated cost of Rs 409 crore. This stretch forms a critical segment of the wider Budhapank-Salegaon infrastructure expansion project, which handles heavy traffic from the state’s resource-rich belts. The project will significantly increase train handling capacity, remove operational bottlenecks and support smooth movement of coal, steel, power-sector inputs and other industrial commodities.
“The additional capacity created through these projects will enable operation of more passenger and freight trains, improve connectivity, strengthen industrial logistics and contribute significantly to the overall growth and development of Odisha,” the ECoR said in a release.
The commissioning of these dual projects aligns closely with the central government’s broader macroeconomic vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Viksit Odisha,’ aiming to transform the state into a modern logistics hub, it added.
