Bhubaneswar: In a continued effort to enhance railway infrastructure and passenger safety, Indian Railways will be undertaking critical track linking and non-interlocking operations at Meramandali Railway Station under the Dhenkanal-Angul section. The operations are part of the ongoing modernization work on the Budhapank-Salegaon 3rd and 4th Line Project, covering a crucial 27.28 km stretch between Hindol Road and Meramandali.
To facilitate smooth execution of these works, several train services will be either cancelled or diverted between April 13 and April 24, 2025. The East Coast Railway has assured that the temporary disruptions are being implemented with careful planning to minimize inconvenience to passengers.
Cancelled Train Services
Several long-distance and regional trains will remain cancelled on select dates during the period:
- 02832/02831 Bhubaneswar-Dhanbad-Bhubaneswar Special
Cancelled from Bhubaneswar: April 13–23
Cancelled from Dhanbad: April 14–24 - 18422/18421 Sonepur-Puri-Sonepur Express
Cancelled from Sonepur: April 18
Cancelled from Puri: April 17 - 20813/20814 Puri-Jodhpur-Puri Express
Cancelled from Puri: April 16
Cancelled from Jodhpur: April 19 - 18125/18126 Rourkela-Puri-Rourkela Express
Cancelled from Rourkela: April 13–23
Cancelled from Puri: April 14–24 - 12145/12146 LTT-Puri-LTT Express
Cancelled from LTT: April 13
Cancelled from Puri: April 15 - 12993/12994 Gandhidham-Puri-Gandhidham Express
Cancelled from Gandhidham: April 18
Cancelled from Puri: April 21 - 22805/22806 Bhubaneswar-Anand Vihar-Bhubaneswar SF Express
Cancelled from Bhubaneswar: April 12 & 19
Cancelled from Anand Vihar: April 14 & 21 - 20917/20918 Indore-Puri-Indore Express
Cancelled from Indore: April 15 & 22
Cancelled from Puri: April 17 & 24 - 18117/18118 Rourkela-Gunupur-Rourkela Rajyarani Express
Cancelled from Rourkela: April 14–22
Cancelled from Gunupur: April 15–23 - 20832/20831 Sambalpur-Shalimar-Sambalpur Express
Cancelled from Sambalpur: April 15, 17, 20 & 22
Cancelled from Shalimar: April 16, 18, 21 & 23 - 20804/20803 Sambalpur-Shalimar-Sambalpur Weekly Express
Cancelled from Sambalpur: April 18
Cancelled from Shalimar: April 19
Train Services to Be Diverted
To maintain connectivity, several trains will operate via diverted routes during the period:
- 12880 Bhubaneswar-LTT Express – Diverted on April 17 & 21
- 22866 Puri-LTT Express – Diverted on April 22
- 20472 Puri-Lalgarh Express – Diverted on April 16
- 12879 LTT-Bhubaneswar Express – Diverted on April 17
- 20471 Lalgarh-Puri Express – Diverted on April 22
→ New Route: Khurda Road–Vizianagaram–Titlagarh–Sambalpur–Jharsuguda Road - 20807/20808 Visakhapatnam-Amritsar HIRAKUD Express
Diverted from Amritsar: April 16, 19 & 20
Diverted from Visakhapatnam: April 18, 19 & 22
→ New Route: Jharsuguda–Sambalpur–Titlagarh–Vizianagaram - 20823 Puri-Ajmer Express – Diverted on April 17 & 21
- 20824 Ajmer-Puri Express – Diverted on April 15 & 17
- 22828 Surat-Puri Express – Diverted on April 15
- 20861/20862 Puri-Ahmedabad Express – Puri: April 16; Ahmedabad: April 18
- 22827 Puri-Surat Express – Diverted on April 20
→ New Route: Khurda Road–Vizianagaram–Titlagarh - 22909/22910 Valsad-Puri-Valsad Express
Diverted from Valsad: April 17
Diverted from Puri: April 20
→ New Route: Ib–Jharsuguda–Rourkela–Jaroli–Jakhapura
Railways Urge Passengers to Stay Updated
The East Coast Railway has advised passengers to check the latest train schedules, cancellation notices, and diversion routes through official Indian Railways websites, station enquiry counters, and helpline numbers.
Railways have expressed regret for any inconvenience caused and requested public cooperation. “These modernization works are vital for improving rail safety and infrastructure. We appreciate the patience and support of passengers during this essential upgrade,” the official statement said.
