The proposed rail connectivity for Kandhamal district is set to be established by the Rairakhol–Gopalpur new line project, undertaken by the Odisha Rail Infrastructure Development Limited (ORIDL).
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in response to Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi’s query in the Lok Sabha, mentioned that this new line, a joint venture between the government of Odisha and the Ministry of Railways, is intended to provide the proposed connectivity.
The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the new rail line has been prepared by ORIDL. However, the proposed alignment did not include Phulbani, contrary to the In-Principle Approval (IPA) granted to ORIDL, as stated by the Minister. Consequently, ORIDL has been instructed to reassess the alignment of the Gopalpur–Rairakhol new rail line, and the project awaits sanction.
Notably, the residents of Kandhamal have expressed their discontent as the revised location survey map for the Gopalpur-Sambalpur railway line, as prepared by ORIDL, has excluded Phulbani town. The original survey had proposed a connection between Berhampur, Aska, Kandhamal, and Sambalpur, but the revised map indicates a route alteration, now bypassing Phulbani and instead connecting near Madhapur via Bhanjanagar to the Balangir-Khurda Road railway line, causing unrest among the district’s populace.
