East Coast Railway General Manager Umesh Singh on Thursday briefed mediapersons about progress of different works, including infrastructure ones, undertaken in the zone and said Odisha has received the highest budgetary allocation of Rs 5,102 crore in 2017-18.
Singh said two new railway lines and 12 doubling projects have been commissioned during the current year. While 74 road over bridges (ROB) and subways have been completed, 37 bridges re-built/rehabilitated. One freight terminal commissioned at Visakhapatnam. 128 unmanned and 19 manned level crossings were eliminated.
He said that track would be fit to run the train till Nayagarh station of Khurda-Bolangir Railway line by the May 2017 and the work from the Balangir end of the project has already been started. The Balgarh PH to be completed soon.
The GM said 3,294 bio-toilets have been fitted in 895 coaches to maintain cleanliness at stations and tracks. As many as 10 trains (connecting Puri with other religious places like Rameswaram and Dwarika) have been converted into green trains with zero discharge.
Regarding plans for 2017-18, he said bypass line at Khordha Road, Vizianagaram and Titlagarh and MEMU (Main line Electric Multiple Unit) shed at Khordha Road would be undertaken. Similarly, a new station at Bhubaneswar and the Khurda Road-Puri Greed Corridor would be commissioned this year. Besides, Wi-Fi facility would be available at Sambalpur, Rayagada, Vijiyanagaram, Jagdalpur, Berhampur, Bhadrak, Jjapur and Srikakulam stations.
While Paralakhemundi station building work would start this year, foundation stone laying and commencement of work in progress at Narla Road for the Electric loco POH Workshop and Mancheswar for freight maintenance facility.
About passenger amenities, Singh said 10 lifts and escalators were commissioned this year while 13 new stoppages were given and 985 special trains were run. Besides, 5,955 coaches were augmented
Singh said the ECoR has installed 124 POS (Point of Sale) machines at 19 railway stations to promote cashless transactions.