Odisha's Railway renaissance: Minister highlights BJP's commitment to development

Bhubaneswar, May 21: Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to accelerating the development of Odisha's railway sector, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw underscored significant progress witnessed over the past decade since the BJP assumed power at the Centre. Vaishnaw emphasized that under the Prime Minister's vision, Odisha has experienced a remarkable increase in railway funding, contrasting starkly with previous allocations.

Previously, Odisha received a modest allocation of approximately Rs 800 crore for railway development. However, under the BJP government, this allocation has surged to over Rs 10,000 crore, reflecting a substantial boost in investment, as stated by the Railway Minister during his visit to the state amidst ongoing election campaigns.

Vaishnaw highlighted the transformative impact, noting that before 2014, only 50 km of rail line work was completed annually, whereas presently, this rate has quadrupled to 200 km per year. Specifically citing the progress of the Khurda-Balangir railway project, he mentioned ongoing projects with a collective investment of Rs 50,773 crore currently underway in the state.

Asserting the government's commitment to establishing a world-class railway network in Odisha, Vaishnaw announced the operation of three Vande Bharat trains, with plans for the introduction of Vande Metro and Vande Sleepers in the near future. Additionally, efforts to upgrade 52 railway stations to international standards are in full swing, with significant progress made in accelerating the work for 48 of these stations.