Seven east coast railway projects were approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Once these projects are completed, Odisha will get immense benefit. Domestic coal can be transported to south India through all rail routes from Talcher. Coal from Paradip and Gopalpur ports can be sent to steel plants. Raw material (clinker and pet coke) will be transported for cement plants from Paradip port.
The project will also benefit export of steel from various steel plants, faster movement of iron ore from mines in Keonjhar district to various ports, seamless transportation of coal from Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram ports to steel plants in Odisha will be facilitated.
Besides, Railways can run more train services in Odisha or Andhra Pradesh routes. Now the Khurda Road-Vizianagaram route is the busiest route due to two lines only, said the ECoR sources.
“Capacity of the Howrah-Chennai mainline in the east coast needs to be enhanced to handle busy traffic. This is an important trunk route for transportation. Previously, third line work from Howrah to Bhadrak and Cuttack was underway. Now we have approved the third line till Vizianagaram. Detailed project report will be prepared for a third line from Visakhapatnam to Chennai,” said railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. These projects will be fully funded by the Centre and will have an estimated cost of Rs 5,618 crore. They will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across the East Coast Railway (ECoR).
