BHUBANESWAR: Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), South Eastern circle AM Chowdhary inspected the newly built 16.8 km rail line between Haridaspur and Byree stations of ongoing Bhadrak-Nergundi third line project on Thursday. East Coast Railway (ECoR) sources said construction of the railway section has been completed and will be commissioned after clearance from the CRS. Movement of train services will be allowed after getting the clearance for train traffic.
Chowdhary inspected all the safety-related works thoroughly between Haridaspur and Byree stations. A light engine was also run between the two stations to measure the feasibility of the new line for train traffic. The construction work for Bhadrak-Nergundi third line project in Howrah-Chennai main line between Bhadrak and Cuttack stations is going on in full swing. More than 60 per cent of construction works of the project have been completed, said a railway official.
The 92.19 km Bhadrak-Nergundi third line was announced in 2012-13 and the final sanction was given in October 2015. While the 23.53 km stretch between Jakhapura and Haridaspur was completed in April 2016, the 4.3 km section from Kapilas Road to Salegaon was commissioned in May 2019. The 4.2 km stretch from Kapilas Road to Nergundi was commissioned in October 2022.
“The target for completion of the remaining 83.69 km of the third line has been set for March 2024. The latest anticipated cost of the project is `1,284.39 crore. Once completed, Bhadrak-Nergundi third line will boost the economy of the region and provide hassle-free train operations in Howrah-Chennai main line,” the official added.