The Indian Railways continues its major infrastructure expansion in Odisha with the ongoing construction of a 138.32 KM long new railway line connecting Bargarh Road to Nuapada Road. This strategic project is set to improve connectivity, boost regional development, generate employment and offer significant benefits to both passenger and freight transportation in the region.

The Railway Board sanctioned the project on September 10 last year at a total cost of Rs. 2621.92 crore. The financial breakup of the project is Civil Engineering (Rs. 2107.30 crore), Electrical Engineering (Rs. 305.55 crore) and Signal & Telecom Engineering (Rs. 209.07 crore). The state government has extended its full support by providing land free of cost and offering a grant of Rs. 300 crore for the project.

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The project necessitates the acquisition of 924.64 hectares of land, amounting to approximately Rs. 364 crore. The land to be acquired includes 752.524 hectares of private land, 123.233 hectares of government land and 48.913 hectares of forest land. The acquisition process is progressing smoothly, with the competent authorities for land acquisition in both Bargarh and Nawapara districts appointed via gazette notifications published on October 15, 2024, and November 29, 2024, respectively.

The new rail line will be an electrified broad gauge (BG) mail line from Bargarh Road to Nawapara Road, passing through Padmapur, providing an alternative shorter route and bypassing the congested Jharsuguda-Bilaspur-Raipur circuit. This new route will reduce the travel distance by 53 km compared to the Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Raipur route and 87 km compared to the Sambalpur-Titilagarh-Raipur route, facilitating quicker transit of goods and passengers .The project will have 13 stations, including two existing stations and 11 new stations, improving accessibility across the region.

With the active collaboration of the Odisha government and local authorities, the timely completion of the Bargarh Road to Nawapada Road railway line is poised to significantly enhance connectivity in the region. The project will not only improve passenger transportation but also foster economic growth through improved transportation of goods. The Railways is committed to ensuring the speedy progress of land acquisition and construction activities, ensuring that this infrastructure milestone is achieved for the benefit of the people of Odisha.