Balangir: A trial run on the newly-laid railway track between Balangir and Bhainsapalli on Khurda-Balangir route began on Tuesday.
The 19-km trial run was conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), who was accompanied by the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Sambalpur, and a team of senior Railway officials and engineers.
Till reports last came in, the CRS and his team will arrive at Bhainsapalli railway station where a special train has been kept. After the arrival of the team, the train will put to a speed test from Bhainsapali to Balangir.
“The CRS, after conducting the trial run, will submit a final report to the department on the safety parameters of the railway track and fix a date to begin the regular train service on this route,” Station Manager of Sambalpur Railway Station, Nikunja Bihari Beura told mediapersons here.
Out of 289 km between Khurda and Balangir, construction of 66-km track from Khurda to Nayagarh has been completed. With the completion of 19-km track between Balangir and Bhainsapali, construction of 85 km track has been completed. The state government has already started the process of land acquisition in Sonepur district after which the railway authorities will start the construction of the track.
The Centre in the 2018 Union Budget had sanctioned the highest allocation of Rs 625 crore to Khurda Road-Balangir railway project.
It is one of the oldest and important projects of the state, which will connect western Odisha with coastal part of the state.
