ROURKELA: In a significant development for Sundargarh, the Indian Railways has planned to introduce rail connectivity to the district headquarters town. Sources in the South Eastern Railway (SER) said as per the policy of the Central government to connect all district headquarters towns with the railway network, it has been decided to connect Sundargarh town with Jharsuguda railway junction on the Howrah-Mumbai main line.
The proposed new line covering some interior pockets of the Sundargarh sub-division would extend to Jharkhand.
A preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey was conducted around eight months back. In April last year, Sundargarh MLA Kusum Tete accompanied by Talsara legislator Bhawani Shankar Bhoi and Birmitrapur MLA Shankar Oram, all from BJP, had met Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw demanding rail connectivity to Sundargarh town. They had suggested a new rail line of around 300 km between Jharsuguda and Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh via Sundargarh and several other pockets of Jharkhand.
Tete said the Railway minister had informed them that their proposal of a line between Jharsuguda and Ambikapur via Sundargarh was not feasible. “We were shown another route in which a new line from Sundargarh’s Hemgir would run through Kanaktura, Darlipali, Sargipali, Tangarpali, Mohulpali and Tasladihi.
The railway station for Sundargarh town would come up at Sianbahal-Balijodi. From there, the line covering Talsara and a few other pockets of Sundargarh and adjacent Jharkhand would further extend to Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh,” she said. The MLA further claimed that a drone survey was carried out but she was not sure of the exact route. “I will draw the Railway minister’s attention to expedite the project,” she added.
Sundargarh town is situated near the coal-rich belt of Hemgir and Darlipali Super Thermal Power Project of NTPC. However, it has failed to achieve the desired growth in the absence of rail connectivity. For the past several decades, residents have been demanding rail connectivity to Sundargarh town which used to be the headquarters of the erstwhile Gangpur princely estate during the British era.
Currently, passengers from Sundargarh town and adjacent rural blocks have to travel 30-60 km by road to board trains at Jharsuguda railway station.SER’s senior divisional commercial manager and spokesperson Gajraj Singh Charan said he is not aware of the survey and sought time to get the details.
Long-standing demand
Currently, passengers from Sundargarh town have to travel 30-60 km by road to board trains at Jharsuguda railway station
A preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey conducted around eight months back
Proposed new line covering interior pockets of Sundargarh would extend to Jharkhand