CM Raghubar Das on Saturday said that the State Government will take up the proposal to make Tatanagar-Badampahar double track. The track, which is an important link with Odisha at present, is single track.
The CM was addressing a function organised to mark the flagging off of the new Tatanagar-Badampahar DEMU (diesel electric multiple unit) Passenger train. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, flagged off the train from Baripada on Saturday.
Das said that our Prime Minister is committed to fulfilling every demand of development including rail connectivity and airline. The CM said that the State Government will raise the proposal to make the track till Keonjhar double track.
Currently, one train runs between Tatanagar and Badampahar. It leaves Tatanagar at 6 am and reaches Badampahar at 10.25 am. On its return journey, the train leaves Badampahar at 8.40am. Its scheduled arrival time at Tatanagar is 3.15pm.
The new train will leave Tatanagar at 3.45 am and reach Badampahar at 7.05 am. In its return journey, the train will leave Badampahar at 7.20 am and reach Tatanagar at 10.45 am, covering around 90km. The train is scheduled to stop at half-a-dozen stations in between.
Tatanagar-Badampahar railway line was laid in 1911 and only one train ran on the route. A second passenger train has been flagged off on this historic line to benefit people of Badampahar who will now have rail-linkage to Howrah and Mumbai via Tatanagar for six days a week.
Governor Droupadi Murmu said the new train would benefit the people of Badampahar as they would get an additional train to Tatanagar which is on the Howrah-Mumbai trunk route.
Murmu said that after 107 years this is the second train, which has been started on the track.
The introduction of an additional passenger train will especially benefit the people. Apart from improving rail connectivity it will also ensure better economic development of the area," she said.