SAMBALPUR: The Centre has allocated an estimated Rs 1,300 crore for development of infrastructure in western Odisha in the Railway Budget 2016-17. The rail infrastructure under the division would be strengthened and doubling and electrification works would be completed in the next three years, said Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Sambalpur Railway Division, DK Singh on Friday. Singh said while Rs 240 crore has been sanctioned for Balangir-Khurda Road rail link, Rs 220 crore and Rs 419 crore have been sanctioned for doubling of railway tracks between Sambalpur-Talcher and Sambalpur-Titlagarh railway stations respectively. This apart, a new rail line from Sambalpur to Berhampur, a distance of 270 km, has been sanctioned in the Budget, he added. Singh said the division envisages converting all unmanned railway level crossings to manned level crossing by 2020 and aims to close down 39 unmanned level crossing by the end of next fiscal at a cost of Rs 20 crore. The new Jharsuguda Road Station would be functional by first week of March and it would be developed as a model railway station.