Bhubaneswar: A new railway station in Bhubaneswar and a host of other infrastructure projects were inaugurated Saturday ahead of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra beginning July 14.
The Bhubaneswar New station, built at a cost of Rs 28 crore, was dedicated to the public by Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The station has nine rail lines and seven platforms along with two foot over bridges.
The new station, located between Mancheswar and Barang stations, will improve communication for people in northern parts of the city, Pradhan said.
It will play a major role in boosting business and trade activities, he said. Pradhan urged the state government to provide land for a direct road connecting the station with Nandankanan Road. Apart from the new station, several other projects such as a mobile app for Rath Yatra, a Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) shed at Khurda Road station, new foot over bridge (FOB) at Bhubaneswar station and rail ticket booking counter at Bagala Dharmashala in Puri were also inaugurated by the Union Minister.
He flagged off new MEMU train to run between Puri and Angul and said people of Talcher, Angul, Cuttack, Puri and other areas will benefit from this service. The minister along with the railway officials travelled in the train from the new station to Bhubaneswar station at Master Canteen.
Pradhan appreciated and congratulated ECoR offials for introduction of 184 special trains to run during this car festival. Launching the mobile app, the Union Minister said it will help pilgrims and tourists get particulars about available trains to Puri for the festival.
He urged the ECoR officials to work on the proposal to lay a railway line (around Bhubaneswar and Cuttack) like a ring road proposed by National Highway Authority of India.
East Coast Railway general manager Umesh Singh said the new station will reduce congestion of trains between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar and it will be the future Rail Terminal for some originating trains.
Initially, three passenger trains will stop at the new station. Express and super fast trains will stop there gradually, a railway official said. The new station was built to ease traffic in the main station in which over 140 trains pass daily. The Bhubaneswar main station has six platforms while the new one seven. Some other railway projects including a new station building at Bhadrak are likely to be commissioned later this month, he said.
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