On Friday, people of Rajsunakhela in Nayagarh district were jubilant as a railway engine came there for the first time. The East Coast Railway (ECoR) conducted trial run of the engine from Begunia to Rajsunakhala on the Khordha-Balangir route.
In July, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had flagged off the first-ever train to run on Khordha Road-Begunia section of the Khordha-Balangir track at the Begunia station.
The Railway Minister dedicated the 32-km stretch to the commuters at Begunia which is a part of the 289-km Khordha-Balangir rail project.
The much-awaited line is significant not only for connecting backward pockets of central Odisha districts but also linking the coastal regions with the western pockets of the state.
ECoR Chief Engineer Sankarsan Nayak said other requisite arrangements would be made available for the running of train fully within a week or ten days. Sources said train would be available upto Rajsunakhala by this month.