The State of Odisha has been allotted 5 new trains in the Indian Railway Budget 2014-15 tabled before Parliament on Tuesday. These include one premium express train, 2 express trains, 1 passenger train and 1 DEMU Train. Only 2 of these trains originate of terminate in Odisha, while rest of them pass through the state.
However, the state has been allocated railway projects worth Rs.1,420 crores, which includes Bolangir-Khurda Railway Line.
List of New Trains for Odisha introduced in the Budget.
Premium Trains
- Shalimar–Chennai Premium AC Express
Express Trains
- Paradip–Visakhapatnam Express(Weekly)
- Tatanagar Byappanahalli (Bangalore) Express(Weekly)
Passenger Trains
- Hatia–Rourkela Passenger
DEMU services
- Sambalpur–Rourkela (6 days a week)
EXTENSION OF RUN OF EXISTING TRAINS
- 68002/68007 Howrah–Belda MEMU to Jaleswar
Reacting over the Budget, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said his state had requested projects worth Rs.3,160 crore but only projects worth Rs.1,420 crore has been proposed.
“You all know that the state government has agreed to provide 50 percent cost of construction and land free of cost for Bolangir-Khurda project. An amount of Rs. 100 crore has been kept in the railway budget for the same,” he told reporters here.
“We have a serious concern about creation of new zone for Seemandhra by bifurcating Visakhapatnam (zone). We have raised serious objections to this and hope the ministry of railways will consider our just request to protect the interest of backward region of Odisha,” he said.
He also opposed the linking of the railway fare with fuel price saying that it will affect the common man.
“As regard the proposal for linking railway fare with fuel price, I apprehend that this will affect the common man and expose them to vagaries of fluctuations in fuel price,” he said.