As part of the union railway ministry’s initiative to complete the ongoing rail projects in Odisha, the 150-km-long Talcher-Bimlagarh new BG Rail Link Project achieved a milestone with a breakthrough in the 840 metre long tunnel in Baruan hills between Sunakhani and Samal stations.
“Ministry of Railways has given priority for early completion of ongoing Railway projects in this region. During his last visit to Odisha, the Union Minister of Railways advised officials to take necessary action and to coordinate with other agencies, so that the long pending sanctioned work will be completed at the earliest”, an official statement by East Coast Railway (ECoR) said on Sunday.
The Talcher-Bimlagarh new BG Rail Link Project (149.78Km) sanctioned in the year 2003-04 achieved a major milestone as Engineering Team of ECoR Construction wing conducted final detonation to force the Breakthrough in the 840 M long Tunnel in Baruan Hill between Sunakhani and Samal Stations of the ongoing project, it stated.
The project has faced major roadblocks due to slow progress of land Acquisition in Deogarh and Sundargarh Districts. ECoR administration is in constant touch with State and District administration to expedite the land acquisition work in the above two Districts, so that construction of this project from Bimlagarh side will be carried on.
Railways have completed AND commissioned 20 kms of rail line between Talcher Station and Sunakhani Railway Station in on-going New Rail line between Talcher and Bimalagarh in December, 2019.
Work is currently going on for another 16.30 km stretch between Sunakhani and Parabil in Angul District. Out of 149.78Kms stretch of the total project length, about 79 Kms falls in Angul District, Deogarh has about 32Kms and Sundargarh has about 39 Kms stretch.
Completion of Railway projects depends on various factors like early land acquisition, forest clearance, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions of area, law and order situation in the project site, etc., apart from climatic conditions.
Once the project is completed, the Link will reduce the distance between Rourkela and Talcher by about 126 Kms. This line will help the movement of export quality iron ore through Ports. This project will boost the Economic development of interior districts Angul, Deogarh, and Sundargarh of Odisha.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a native of Talcher thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vaishnav for expediting the execution of this much-awaited project.
“Thank PM Shri @narendramodi ji and Rail Min. Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw ji for continuously working to remove hurdles towards fulfilling the five-decade-old demand of the people of Odisha and also for prioritising the development of railways in the state. #Infra4India,” Pradhan tweeted.