ROURKELA: The Rourkela Junction railway station has neither been included among the 48 stations planned for doubling originating train capacity nor among the 76 others selected for development of passenger holding areas.
Situated on the Howrah-Mumbai main line under the South Eastern Railway (SER), Rourkela Junction is classified as an non-suburban grade-2 (NSG-2) station with annual earnings of Rs 100–500 crore and an outward passenger footfall of 10–20 million.
In a statement issued on December 26 last year, the Ministry of Railways had said that it plans to double originating train capacity in major cities over the next five years by expanding coaching terminals. The initiative aims to meet rising passenger demand, reduce congestion and improve nationwide connectivity.
Under the plan, 48 stations across the country have been identified for capacity doubling through infrastructure augmentation including additional platforms, stabling lines, pit lines and shunting facilities. The proposal also envisages creation of new terminals in and around selected urban areas, establishment of maintenance facilities including mega coaching complexes, enhancement of sectional capacity through traffic facility works, signalling upgrades and multi-tracking to handle increased train operations.
Within the SER zone, Kolkata (West Bengal), Jamshedpur (Tatanagar) and Ranchi (both in Jharkhand) have been included in the list. However, Rourkela, an NSG-2 station like Jamshedpur under Chakradharpur division and Ranchi, has been excluded.
President of Rourkela Development Steering Committee Subrata Patnaik said Rourkela has consistently been left out of major railway infrastructure and development initiatives. He pointed out that the Chakradharpur division is the highest freight revenue generator under SER, with a substantial share coming from the Rourkela region.
Similarly, in October 2025, the Ministry of Railways had approved a plan to develop passenger holding areas at 76 stations across the country using modular designs. Under SER, Ranchi, Tata and Shalimar stations were selected under the plan, but Rourkela did not find a mention.
Member of SER Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee Ramesh Agarwal alleged that as the SER general manager is based in Kolkata, the priority is skewed towards West Bengal. Similarly, the Chakradharpur divisional railway manager focuses largely on Jharkhand, he claimed.