Bhubaneswar, Mar 21: On Monday Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu launched extension of two trains in two different routes and laid foundation stone of various railway projects through video conferencing at the Bhubaneswar Railway station here. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik accomapanied Prabhu in flagging off extension of Khurda Road-Rajsunakhala passenger train upto the newly built Bolagarh Road station.
Recently the East Coast Railway (ECoR) completed trial run on the 12.82 km long stretch between Rajsunakhala and Bolagarh of 289-km long Khurda Road-Bolangir new and important railway line project of Odisha. Rourkela-Bhubaneswar Rajyarani Express up to Gunupur were also flagged off. This exoress will be connecting Gunupur to the capital city of Bhubaneswar via Paralakhemundi. It will connect Rourkela and Bhubaneswar directly with Gajapati and Rayagada. Prabhu also laid foundation stones for Khurda Road-Puri bypass line, fourth line between Rourkela and Bondamunda, Multi-disciplinary Training Centre at Jagatpur in Cuttack and maintenance facilities for MEMU units at Khurda Road. He also inaugurated lift and escalators at Bhubaneswar Railway Station for the benefit of passengers, particularly senior citizens, differently abled persons and patients. Double line between Handapa and Saragipali stations in Angul-Sambalpur doubling project, raising and extension of platform no-1 and new platform no-2 and new approach road at Jharsuguda Road station was also inaugurated by Prabhu through videoconferencing from Bhubaneswar. He announced that a full-fledged and beautiful station building would come up at Paralakhemundi. He also made a slew of important announcements including selling Odia cuisine and women self-help group products online. Priority would be given to women self-help groups for selling their local products through online marketing wing of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for which NABARD would be roped in. Besides, tribal products and Handlooms & Handicrafts would be sold in trains.
Patnaik praised the Railway Ministry for inculcating such development projects for the Railways in this region and also urged to speed up the on-going Railway projects at the earliest. Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan also praised the Railways. Commerce & Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda, MPs and MLAs also graced the occasion.
