Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has extended his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the approval of two major railway projects in the state by the Union government’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
The CCEA on Friday approved four railway projects across the country, including two projects in Odisha, to expand the track network of Indian Railways with an investment of Rs 18,658 crore.
The four projects covering 15 districts in three states — Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh — will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 1,247 km.
“The consistent focus of Prime Minister Modi on the development of Odisha is clearly reflected in the regular approval of such key developmental projects for Odisha. Under the guidance of PM Modi, Odisha will definitely emerge as the growth engine of the country,” said CM Majhi on Friday.
As per the statement released by the Chief Minister’s Office, CM Majhi also thanked Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for the above railway projects’ approval.
These two projects are the third and fourth Lines between Sambalpur and Jarapada (Talcher, Angul) and the third and fourth Lines between Jharsuguda and Sason (Sambalpur).
The Railways has proposed to invest Rs 3,917 crore for the Sambalpur-Jarapada project while Rs 1,187 crore will be invested for the Jharsuguda-Sason project.
Both the projects will cost Rs 5,104 crore to the Railways. These multi-track projects will significantly enhance connectivity and railway transportation capacity in Sambalpur, Angul, and Jharsuguda districts.
These projects are expected to ease congestion, improve the efficiency of train operations, and support faster movement of goods and passengers.
These projects will be implemented for the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity which entail integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services in the region.
Notably, the Central government has allotted Rs 10,599 crore for the development of Railways in Odisha in the budget for 2025-26 financial year.
