Odisha Secures Record ₹10,599 Crore in Rail Budget 2025: A New Era of Growth and Connectivity

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has received a historic ₹10,599 crore allocation in the Union Rail Budget 2025, marking a 12.5-fold increase from the ₹838 crore allocated between 2009-2014. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the major investment via video conferencing from New Delhi, highlighting Odisha’s unprecedented growth in railway infrastructure.

Massive Expansion in Odisha’s Railway Network

The budget prioritizes network expansion, electrification, and passenger amenities, ensuring faster, safer, and more efficient rail connectivity across the state.

• New Railway Tracks: 186 km of new tracks will be laid by 2025, 3.5 times more than the 53 km added in the previous decade.
• Electrification Drive: Odisha has achieved 100% electrification, with 1,516 km of track electrified, a 4.5-fold increase over previous periods.
• Infrastructure Boom: Since 2014, 2,046 km of new railway tracks have been constructed, surpassing Malaysia’s entire rail network.

Enhanced Passenger Experience and Safety Measures

The 2025 Rail Budget focuses on passenger convenience, station modernization, and safety enhancements:

• Amrit Station Development: ₹2,379 crore allocated for the revamp of 59 railway stations, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, and Rourkela.
• Passenger Amenities: 522 new rail flyovers and underpasses, along with 43 lifts, 18 escalators, and Wi-Fi facilities at 234 stations.
• Advanced Safety Features: The Kavach Safety System is being implemented on 1,898 km of rail lines, with work in progress for 645 km and 1,000 locomotives to be equipped with the system.

High-Speed and Express Train Connectivity

• Six Vande Bharat Express trains are now operational in Odisha, connecting 17 districts and 25 unique stoppages.
• A new Amrit Bharat Express will link Malda Town and Bengaluru, improving inter-state connectivity.

Multi-Tracking and Future Investments

• 48 railway projects covering 4,784 km are in progress with an investment of ₹73,723 crore.
• The multi-tracking project from Kolkata to Chennai is progressing, with a third railway line already under construction and a fourth line planned.

Odisha’s Railway Transformation Under “Double Engine Government”

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Odisha’s leadership for their support in transforming Odisha’s railway sector.

Odisha has received over ₹10,000 crore annually for railway development in the past three years, bringing the total railway investment to ₹78,000 crore, with an additional ₹20,000 crore worth of projects sanctioned.

The 2025 Rail Budget sets Odisha on a path toward rapid modernization, enhanced connectivity, and economic growth, cementing its role as a key player in India’s railway network.