BHUBANESWAR: In a major boost to rail connectivity for the state, the Centre has approved a new Amrit Bharat train service between Podanur in Coimbatore and Dhanbad in Jharkhand, which will pass through Odisha.
Informing the decision to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said the new train will pass through several important stations in Odisha including Rayagada, Muniguda, Kesinga, Titilagarh, Balangir, Bargarh Road, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Rourkela before entering Jharkhand.
Chief Minister Majhi expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vaishnaw for their continued support to the development of the state. In a post on X, Majhi said the new train service will be a major boost for rail connectivity in southern and western Odisha, including districts in the KBK region.
He noted that the train will benefit passengers from seven districts of Odisha by providing easier access to major cities in Tamil Nadu such as Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Salem, as well as key industrial centres in Jharkhand including Ranchi, Bokaro and Dhanbad. The service is expected to help students, workers, traders and other passengers who frequently travel between these regions, he added.
Majhi said, “The initiative reflects the Centre’s continued commitment to strengthening railway infrastructure and accelerating development in Odisha, bringing greater convenience and new opportunities for our people.”
He also welcomed the approval of another Amrit Bharat train between Kamakhya (Assam) and Charlapalli (Hyderabad), which will pass through several stations in Odisha including Berhampur, Balugaon, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur, Keonjhar Road, Bhadrak and Balasore.
The train is expected to further enhance connectivity with Assam, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.