The Railway Board has approved four new railway line projects in Odisha, covering a combined length of 312 km, to be developed at an estimated cost of around Rs 90.21 billion under the public–private partnership (PPP) model.

The approved broad-gauge lines under East Coast Railway (ECoR) include the 101 km Jajpur Keonjhar Road–Dhamra line, the 112.5 km Luburi–Tentuloi–Budhapank line, the 49 km Tikiri–Kutrumali line and the 49.58 km Balaram–Putagdia–Tentuloi line.

Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Purvodaya vision, the Jajpur Keonjhar Road–Dhamra Port line is aimed at improving connectivity to key religious and tourist destinations across Jajpur, Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts. Estimated to cost Rs 29.87 billion, the project will have 10 stations between the originating and terminal points. The route will provide direct rail access to the Maa Biraja temple at Jajpur Town, the Shaivite shrine of Baba Akhandalamani at Aradi in Bhadrak, and Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara.

The remaining three lines form part of dedicated freight corridors designed to facilitate faster evacuation of goods. The Balaram–Putagdia–Tentuloi line is planned as part of the inner corridor of the Talcher coal belt, while the Luburi–Tentuloi–Budhapank line will serve as the outer corridor. The Tikiri–Kutrumali line is intended to support the transport of bauxite ore from the Kutrumali and Sijumali mines in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts.

The government has decided to fast-track both inner and outer rail corridors to enable quicker coal movement. Under the proposed expansion plan of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, coal despatch through rail is expected to reach about 162.8 million tonnes by 2029–30. The inner corridor (Phase II) and the outer corridor of Mahanadi Coal Railway Limited will be developed at estimated costs of around Rs 14.04 billion and Rs 34.78 billion respectively, while the Tikiri–Kutrumali line will be taken up at about Rs 11.51 billion, all through joint ventures or special purpose vehicles.

Sources said ECoR has been advised to carry out consultations with stakeholders and potential investors for project design and financial structuring under the PPP framework. The Railway Board has also directed scrutiny of other proposed projects for which detailed project reports have been completed or are under preparation.

Zonal railways have been instructed to set up PPP facilitation units at the senior administrative grade level, comprising engineering, finance and traffic officers, to plan and monitor PPP projects.

The Jajpur Keonjhar Road–Dhamra line is expected to meet a long-standing demand in the region by reducing the distance between Jajpur Road and Dhamra Port by 12 km and benefiting around 3 million people, while also supporting freight movement.