East Coast Railway (ECoR) and the Government of Odisha signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) for constructing four new railway line projects across Southern and Western Odisha.
The projects are Jeypore-Malkangiri new line, Jeypore-Nabarangpur new line, Bargarh-Nuapada new line and Gunupur-Theruvali new line. With a combined investment of over ₹6,879 crore and a total route length of 382 km, these projects will improve connectivity in Odisha’s remote, tribal dominated regions.
These MoUs provide a structured coordination mechanism for expediting land acquisition, ensuring timely clearances, and resolving field level issues through joint monitoring.
Work is progressing in mission mode across land acquisition, forest clearances, tendering, and construction. The conferment of Special Railway Project is significantly expediting land acquisition and statutory processes through prioritized administrative support. Details of the four projects are as follows:
Jeypore-Malkangiri new line project (126-km)
Sanctioned at ₹2,343.64 crore, with 75 per cent funding by Indian Railways (IR) and 25 per cent by the Government of Odisha, the project has achieved major milestones in land acquisition and forest clearances, with tenders for construction works already invited.
Jeypore –Nabarangpur new line project (44.14-km)
This ₹747.91 crore project is being implemented with Government of Odisha bearing land cost and 50 per cent construction cost with IR funding the remaining 50 per cent. Construction has already commenced in key sections, including major bridge works.
Bargarh -Nuapada new line project (138.32-km)
Sanctioned at ₹2,621.92 crore, this project is progressing rapidly with land acquisition and tendering advancing in parallel. Statutory notifications under the land acquisition process have been issued across the alignment.
For private land acquisition in Bargarh district, 20A Gazette Notifications initiating the land acquisition process for all 79 villages were published. Subsequently, 20E Gazette Notifications have been issued, and the land acquisition process has reached the conclusive stage for 6 villages. Likewise, in Nuapada district, the 20A Gazette Notification for initiating the land acquisition process for all 6 villages was published. These milestones mark substantial progress in securing land, enabling faster transition to construction activities.
Gunupur Theruvali new line project (73.62-km)
With a sanctioned cost of ₹1,165.89 crore, the project is witnessing simultaneous progress in land acquisition and tendering. In a significant step forward, 20E Gazette Notifications have been published, marking the conclusive stage of the land acquisition process for all 51 villages along the alignment, thereby substantially enhancing land availability for construction.
Benefits
These four projects together will connect previously unserved districts, benefiting over 30 lakh people, most of them from tribal and marginalized communities. Improved rail connectivity will enable farmers to reach wider markets, students to access educational institutions, and patients to travel for better healthcare. It will also attract investment, create employment, and strengthen administrative reach in remote regions.
