BARIPADA: Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu inaugurated the Railway Heritage Museum here on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. The museum has been set up on 54000 square feet area near Baripada railway station at a cost of Rs 1.55 crore. The heritage museum houses two restored narrow gauge locomotive engines and their coaches that stand as a testimony to the glorious history of erstwhile Mayurbhanj State Railway.
On the occasion, Tudu, also the local MP, said there is plan to introduce a toy train in the museum. Since there is adequate space on the museum premises, the Railway Ministry is planning to set up a park and other beautification projects to attract tourists visiting the district, he added.
The Union Minister informed that train service between Baripada and Puri will be introduced soon. Besides, survey work of the new rail line between Bangiriposi and Gorumahisani has already been completed. The route connectivity work is expected to commence within a couple of months and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will inaugurate the project.
The Railway Ministry is also giving priority to connect Chakulia and Badampahar via rail network. Frequent road mishaps at Bangiriposi ghat will come down once there is rail connectivity between Chakulia and Badampahar, he said.
“Recently, I met Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for discussion on rail connectivity from Mayurbhanj to the neighbouring State which has hit a roadblock due to forest land issue. The CM assured that he will hold talks with forest officials to find a way to address the problem,” Tudu informed. Among others, Baripada MLA Prakash Soren, former Minister Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo and Divisional manager of South Eastern Railway in Kharagpur Manoranjan Pradhan were present at the event.
The railway history of Mayurbhanj dates back to 1904 when work on the Rupsa-Bangiriposi narrow gauge line was started by its erstwhile ruler Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo. The first section of the 52-km-line was inaugurated by then Lieutenant Governor of Bengal Sir Andrew Fraser on January 20, 1905.