During celebration of the Rail Yatri Upabhokta Paksha from May 26 to June 9, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Khordha Road SK Singh described Indian Railways as the third largest railway network in the world having 66,000 route km spread in the country. Besides, the DRM claimed the Indian Railways has given employment to 13 lakh unemployed. He added that the Indian Railways transports 90% of total coal moved in the country and around 21,000 passenger trains and freight trains run in the country daily.
He informed that the Railways has proposal to invest Rs 8, 56,020 crore during the year 2015 to 2019 to double 11,000 km railway track, 4,000 km lines for gauge conversion and also for commissioning of 17,200 km lines. Railways will increase the presently available 155 lifts, 67 escalators and 10,000 bio toilets in trains during the next five years.
DRM Singh said Dhenkanal is categorised as a ‘B’ grade station from where the Railways receives only Rs 5.38 crore per annum towards passenger earning. “The 100 years’ old Dhenkanal station has been improvised with Automatic Ticket Vending Machine, train indication board, passengers reservation system, unreserved ticket system, auto announcement system, catering staff, water cooler, retiring room, dormitory, RPF assistance booth, foot over bridges at Dhenkanal, Meramundali, Hindol Road and Shyama Charanpur PH for interchanging of platforms only during the last 10 years,” said Singh.