Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha that an outlay of Rs 19,380 million (mn) has been provided for the 301-km Khurda Road-Balangir railway line project in the 2025-26 financial year. He noted that the latest cost of the project has reached Rs 50,890 mn and that an expenditure of Rs 43,110 mn had been incurred up to March 2025. The allocation reflects the central government's fiscal commitment to the long term completion of the corridor.

The minister said the project comprises three components, of which two have been commissioned and work on one has been taken up. The 106-km Khurda Road-Daspalla and the 120-km Purunakatak-Balangir sections have been commissioned while the 75-km Daspalla-Purunakatak stretch is under construction. The sequencing has permitted portions to be brought into service while remaining civil works proceed.

He added that the line includes seven tunnels with a combined length of 11.96 km, of which six tunnels totalling 7.7 km have been completed and work on one tunnel is ongoing. All five bridges on the route have been completed and work on five station buildings is under progress. Completion of tunnels and bridges has reduced engineering bottlenecks and enabled phased commissioning of sections.

The minister also outlined progress on an 85-km project to add third and fourth lines between Salegaon and Budhapank, saying the 23-km Salegaon-Rajathgarh section has been commissioned and that land acquisition and forest land diversion for a 20-km stretch from Rajathgarh to Dhenkanal have been taken up. He said the 34-km Dhenkanal to Meramundali stretch has already been commissioned and that land acquisition and forest land diversion for an 8-km Meramundali-Budhapank stretch is under progress, underscoring continued financial and construction commitment. The minister emphasised continued monitoring of land and environmental clearances to keep the programme on schedule.