Bhubaneswar: In a significant move toward modernizing railway infrastructure, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) is spearheading the redevelopment of 57 railway stations across Odisha as part of the ambitious Amrit Stations Scheme.
The stations selected for redevelopment include Angul, Badampahar, Balangir, Balasore, Balugaon, Barbil, Bargarh Road, Baripada, Barpali, Belpahar, Betnoti, Bhadrak, Bhawanipatna, Bhubaneswar, Bimlagarh, Brahmapur, Brajrajnagar, Chatrapur, Cuttack, Damanjodi, Dhenkanal, Gunupur, Harishanker Road, Hirakud, Jajpur-Keonjhar road, Jaleswar, Jaroli, Jeypore, Jharsuguda, Jharsuguda Road, Kantabanji, Kendujhargarh, Kesinga, Khariar Road, Khurda Road, Koraput, Lingaraj Temple Road, Mancheswar, Meramandali, Muniguda, New Bhubaneswar, Panposh, Paradeep, Parlakhemundi, Puri, Raghunathpur, Rairakhol, Rairangpur, Rajgangpur, Rayagada, Rourkela, Sakhi Gopal, Sambalpur, Sambalpur city, Talcher, Talcher Road, and Titlagarh Junction.
The initial phase of redevelopment has commenced for some major stations, with 25 stations selected for the ambitious project, including Sakhigopal, Mancheswar, Dhenkanal, Chhatrapur, Angul, Rajgangpur, Meramandali, Balugaon, Lingaraj Temple Road, Talcher Road, Khurda Road, Kantabanji, Bargarh Road, Hirakud, Rairakhol, Barpali, Muniguda, Balangir, Harisankar Road, Jaleswar, Bhawanipatna, Khariar Road, Barbil, Baripada, and Damanjodi stations.
Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 25 stations in Odisha under the Amrit Bharat Scheme through a virtual event last year. Now, the Prime Minister is set to lay the foundation stone for an additional 21 stations in Odisha, further accelerating the modernization of railway infrastructure in the state. The new stations include Talcher, Raghunathpur, Paradeep, Kendujhargarh, Jharsuguda Road, Sambalpur City, Titlagarh, Kesinga, Paralakhemundi, Koraput, Jeypore, Bimlagarh, Jaroli, Rairangpur, Panposh, Balasore, Betnoti, Bhadrak, Belpahar, Brajrajnagar, and Rayagada.
Over the past decade, Odisha has witnessed substantial progress in railway infrastructure, with the construction of 409 Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs). Additionally, 220 ROBs/RUBs are currently under construction, highlighting the commitment to enhancing connectivity and ensuring seamless transportation across the state.