Cuttack/Balasore: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the east side (national highway side) station building at Cuttack railway station Saturday evening.
Speaking on the occasion, Vaishnaw said the Howrah–Chennai route will have four railway tracks to provide better services to the people of this region.
The third track between Bhadrak in Odisha to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh has already been sanctioned with an estimated cost of Rs 10,000 crore and work will start soon, he said.
After the commissioning of new railway lanes, more trains can be introduced to important destinations from Odisha as per demand, he said.
The minister said that the construction of a flyover on the Ghantikhal-Nidhipur road in Cuttack district has been approved. It will be built at a cost of Rs 96 crore.
Another railway flyover, which was committed during the election time, will also be constructed in the Athgarh area of the district at a cost of Rs 268 crore, he said.
The east side building at Cuttack station was constructed at a cost of Rs 14.63 crore.
It will significantly improve passenger convenience and safety by providing easy and hassle-free access for travellers arriving from the national highway side, railway officials said.
The development is expected to streamline station operations and offer smoother passenger movement, fulfilling the long-standing demand for improved facilities and connectivity in the region, they said.
The new building has 21,270 sq ft of air-conditioned space, a food court (2,100 sq ft), modern toilets (including Divyangjan accessibility), ticket counters, waiting areas, escalators, lifts, and more.
As part of the ongoing redevelopment under the Amrit Stations Scheme, Cuttack railway station is undergoing a major transformation to become a modern transportation hub offering world-class amenities with an investment of Rs 303 crore, the official said.
Earlier in the day, Vaishnaw inaugurated a foot-over bridge (FOB) at Balasore railway station and said the station will also be redeveloped at a cost of Rs 200 crore.
The design of the new station building has been finalized keeping Jagannath temple in mind, he said.
Modiji had told the people of Odisha in the month of May 2024 that if there is a double-engine government in the state, Odisha will see several developmental projects which will pave for a big change in the state, he said.
Now, during the last months, Prime Minister Modi has sanctioned Rs 20,000 crore for the development of railway projects in Odisha, Vaishnaw said, adding, a total of Rs 73,000 crore investment plans have been made for the development railway sector in the state.
PTI
