ROURKELA: As mega railway infrastructure projects in Sundargarh district continue to face inordinate delay, posers are raised on the tardy progress in upgradation of Rourkela railway station. The development of circulating areas of the railway station has been a longstanding demand of locals. While official sources said the project completion target is March 2022, the progress has been anything but timely.
As per South Eastern Railway sources, retention wall for the upcoming Platform-6 has been completed and surface work on the new platform would start after shifting of the Tower Wagon Shed and Line 11. A tender has been floated and work would also start shortly on the end-to-end Foot Over Bridge (FOB) with ramp to connect the newly-constructed second entrance (North) with the main entrance (South).
While the Platform-6 project is many years behind schedule, the FOB will take minimum of two years.
To overcome vehicular traffic hassles outside the station’s main entrance during rush hours, the SER has resorted to one-way entry and exit. Since the narrow approach road has failed to serve the purpose, SER with help of the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) is working to widen a portion of the Gandhi Road to 20 metres by sacrificing a portion of its paid parking lot.
BJP leader Ramesh Agarwal said several representations have been made at Divisional and Headquarter levels for expeditious development of the station and its circulating areas. Three lifts installed at Platform-1 and 4 and at the second entrance are not operating regularly. Two new escalators at Platform-1 and 2 face a similar fate, he pointed out. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of SER Manish Pathak said necessary steps are being taken up to enhance passenger amenities at the Rourkela railway station.