Bhubaneswar: Waltair Division of East Coast Railway (ECoR) organised a commemorative function today by celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Paralakhemundi Light Railway.
According to an official press release, the grand celebration took place at the historic Paralakhemundi Railway Station, where various competitions for school children were held, including Essay Writing, Drawing & Painting, and Elocution on the theme Virasat Se Vikas Tak (From Heritage to Development).
The event was graced by distinguished guests, including Senior officials from Railways, a large number of local public, students, media persons of Paralakhemundi.
The initiative to connect Paralakhemundi with Naupada, just 40 km away, was first proposed by the Raja of Parlakhemundi, Maharaja Goura Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deo II. With government approval in 1898, work on the line began in earnest.
The Naupada-Paralakhemundi narrow gauge line, under the ownership of the Maharaja, was launched as the Paralakhemundi Light Railway (PLR) on April 1, 1900, marking the first private railway company in Odisha.
In 1931, the railway line was extended to Gunupur (51 km), and in 1934, Bengal Nagpur Railway took over its management.
Today, the Naupada – Gunupur line includes ten stations between Naupada and Gunupur, including Tekkali, Paddasana, Temburu, Ganguvada, Pathapatnam, Paralakhemundi, Kashinagar, Lihuri, Bansadhara, and Palasingi.
Due to growing public demand, surveys for broad gauge conversion were conducted in 1950, 1964, and 1967.
The foundation stone for the Naupada-Gunupur gauge conversion was laid on September 27, 2002. After the conversion, passenger services resumed between Paralakhemundi and Naupada on December 18, 2010.
The entire Gunupur-Paralakhemundi-Naupada rail corridor was officially opened to the public on August 21, 2011.
Paralakhemundi railway station is being developed under the Amrit Bharat station scheme with modern amenities with station accessibility, air concourse, wider FOB, waiting areas, toilet facilities, lift and escalator and cleanliness, Free Wi-Fi, kiosks for local products through initiatives like ‘One Station One Product’, enhanced passenger information systems, executive lounges, and spaces for business meetings, Facilities for Divyangs, Food Plazas, etc.
Waltair Division has taken several initiatives to commemorate this historic occasion, including extensive publicity campaigns featuring banners, information brochures, and magnificent illumination of the station building.
In addition, audio jingles were played, and an event for local schoolchildren was organized to honor the heritage and development of the Paralakhemundi Light Railway.
The event successfully brought together the community and highlighted the rich legacy of the Paralakhemundi Light Railway, which has been an integral part of Odisha’s transport history for over a century.
