THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
MAY 14, 2026
Union Railway
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday outlined an ambitious roadmap for railway
expansion and connectivity enhancement across Odisha, highlighting
infrastructure projects worth nearly ₹90,000 crore currently under implementation in the State.
A major announcement
during the review was the launch of the new 18407/18408 Puri–Koraput–Puri
Tri-Weekly Express, which is expected to significantly strengthen rail
connectivity between coastal, western and southern Odisha. The Minister said
the train would, for the first time, establish direct rail linkage between Puri
and several districts of the western and southern regions, benefiting
passengers across diverse sectors.
The new service will
operate via Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Angul, Sambalpur, Bargarh Road, Balangir,
Titlagarh, Kesinga, Muniguda, Rayagada, Tikiri, Laxmipur Road, Kakiriguma and
Damanjodi. According to Vaishnaw, the train is expected to boost pilgrimage,
tourism, healthcare access, educational travel, employment opportunities and
business mobility, particularly in the KBK and tribal-dominated districts.
Reaffirming the
Centre’s commitment to balanced regional development under the leadership of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Minister said several key railway projects
are progressing rapidly across Odisha. These include the Junagarh–Nabarangpur,
Nabarangpur–Jeypore, Jeypore–Malkangiri, Bargarh–Nuapada, Gunupur–Therubali,
Khurda Road–Balangir and Bimlagarh–Talcher rail line projects.
Vaishnaw informed that the long-pending Khurda Road–Balangir Rail Line project has been targeted for completion by 2027. He also highlighted ongoing four-laning and capacity enhancement works on the crucial Howrah–Chennai railway corridor passing through Odisha, stating that the State would eventually gain the capacity to operate nearly 500 additional trains.
Further strengthening passenger infrastructure, 59 railway stations across Odisha, including Bhubaneswar, Puri, Sambalpur, Berhampur, Talcher and Baripada, are being redeveloped under the Amrit Station Scheme. A fresh DPR is also being prepared for the proposed Puri–Konark rail connectivity project.
