Bhubaneswar: In a bid to strengthen Odisha’s role in India’s railway network, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg chaired a high-level review meeting on railway infrastructure and ongoing projects on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary of Commerce & Transport, P. Funkual, General Manager of East Coast Railway, Premkumar Jha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Balwant Singh, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Tourism, and others.

Odisha has emerged as a frontrunner in expediting railway development by facilitating land acquisition, ensuring timely clearances, and co-financing priority projects. Among the most significant initiatives discussed was the 32 km Puri–Konark new railway line, sanctioned at a cost of ₹492.12 crore.

The project aims to link two UNESCO heritage sites: Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Sun Temple in Konark. With four proposed stations, major bridges, and event-specific facilities, the corridor is expected to generate 11 lakh man-days of work and boost spiritual and heritage tourism, while supporting local livelihoods under the One Station One Product scheme.

The state is also focusing on improving regional connectivity. In Mayurbhanj district, three new projects: Bangriposi–Gorumahisani, Badampahar–Kendujhargarh, and Buramara–Chakulia will link North Odisha with the western region, enabling end-to-end connectivity from Betnoti to Rairangpur. Similarly, the Jaleswar-Chandaneswar line is being developed to promote coastal tourism.

In the KBK region, new lines between Gunupur-Therubali, Junagarh-Nabarangpur, and Malkangiri-Pandurangapuram (via Bhadrachalam) will improve direct access from Raipur to Vijayawada and Hyderabad. These links are expected to support agro-based industries, promote tribal eco-tourism, and contribute to the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Other critical projects include the Khurda Road-Balangir line, aimed at strengthening hinterland connectivity, and the Bargarh Road-Nawapara Road line, which will enhance market access for rice-producing belts in western and southern Odisha. The latter is also expected to reduce logistics costs and minimise coal dust pollution from Angul/Talcher to Raipur by providing an alternate route for coal transport.

Officials stressed the importance of timely land acquisition, sustainable project planning, and better integration of tourism with logistics. The state government has pledged to resolve bottlenecks quickly and accelerate execution to ensure projects deliver benefits across sectors.