The Indian Railways is advancing its infrastructure development in Odisha, with the ongoing construction of a 138.32 km-long railway line linking Bargarh Road to Nawapada Road. This project is poised to enhance regional connectivity, spur development, create jobs, and significantly improve passenger and freight services.

The Railway Board approved the project on September 10, 2024, at a total cost of Rs 2621.92 crore. The breakdown of the costs includes Civil Engineering: Rs 2107.30 crore, Electrical Engineering: Rs 305.55 crore, and Signal & Telecom Engineering: Rs 209.07 crore.

The Odisha government has fully supported the initiative, offering free land and a grant of Rs 300 crore for the project.

A total of 924.64 hectares of land, valued at approximately Rs 364 crore, will be acquired for the project. This will include 752.524 hectares of private land, 123.233 hectares of government land, and 48.913 hectares of forest land.

Land acquisition is progressing smoothly, with competent authorities appointed in Bargarh and Nawapada districts via gazette notifications published on October 15 and November 29, 2024, respectively.

This new electrified broad-gauge (BG) rail line from Bargarh Road to Nawapada Road will pass through Padmapur, offering a shorter route that avoids the congested Jharsuguda-Bilaspur-Raipur corridor.

The new route will cut the travel distance by 53 km compared to the Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Raipur route and by 87 km when compared to the Sambalpur-Titilagarh-Raipur route, facilitating faster transit of both goods and passengers.

The project will feature 13 stations, including two existing and 11 new stations, improving regional accessibility.