Bolangir: Hope for regular rail service on the Bolangir-Khurda route soared high after a final trial run on a 15-km stretch from Bolangir railway station to Bhainsapali on the newly laid track Tuesday.
Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) KA Manoharan, who had come all the way from Bangalore, travelled in the railcar till Bhainsapali and examined the safety aspects of the track. He was accompanied by Sambalpur divisional railway manager (DRM) Jaydeep Gupta, RS Dubey and other senior officers during the final trial run.
Convener Gopalji Panigrahi, vice-president Muna Patnaik, Rilu Rath and Gobind Satapathy of Bolangir Action Committee welcomed the senior officers. The scrutiny of the track started at 9 am and continued till evening. Manoharan will file his final inspection report.
Special rituals were performed before the railcar in the presence of senior officers after its arrival at the Bolangir railway station in the morning. Later, the railcar ran up to Bhainsapali during which the CRS and his team checked the railway track for its safety at various places.
When contacted, Manoharan said a speed trial on the track was completed in the evening. He said the final inspection report and the authorisation for plying of trains on the route will be submitted to the general manager, East Coast Railway. This has raised hopes among the residents about train services beginning on the route.
DRM Gupta said a passenger or shuttle train will run between Bolangir and Bhainsapali after getting the green signal from the CRS. However, railway track between Sonepur and Boudh could not be laid as land acquisition for the project is yet to get completed. The Sonepur–Boudh route will become operational within two years of land acquisition, Dubey said.
PNN
