BHUBANESWAR: The Railway Board has approved two infrastructure-related railway projects worth around Rs 12 crore for Odisha.
The projects have been sanctioned for Sambalpur and Balasore. Sources said the Indian Railways has planned a quick watering system at Sambalpur city railway station to be developed at a cost of Rs 5.43 crore and a drainage system at Balasore station at a cost of Rs 6.49 crore.
The quick watering system will facilitate the availability of water in passenger train coaches at Sambalpur city railway station. It will not only provide a fast mechanism to provide water to all passengers in the trains but also avoid wastage of water. A 24-coach train can be filled up within five minutes and multiple trains can be watered.
Under the conventional system, a train of 24 coaches normally takes about 20 minutes to get filled. Presently, there is no such facility at Sambalpur station. The upcoming quick watering system will benefit passengers of the trains passing through the Bilaspur-Bhubaneswar route.
A railway official said the new system automatically controls the water flow. It has the facility of monitoring through SMS. The valves can also be operated remotely. The system also helps to record water consumption and identify any unauthorised use of hydrants or leakages, he said.
This apart, major upgradation work is being undertaken at Balasore station under ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme’, which envisages the development of stations with a long-term approach. The fund sanctioned by the Railway Board will ensure proper drainage and sewage system at the west side of Balasore station.
Zonal rail users meet
A meeting of the zonal rail users’ consultative committee (ZRUCC) was held on Thursday here at Rail Sadan under the chairmanship of ECoR general manager Manoj Sharma. Issues related to passenger amenities and services, public demands and other developmental activities, introduction of new trains, extension of trains, and provision of additional stoppage of trains were discussed during the meeting.