Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of Railways has invited tenders for the construction of a 30.62 km stretch between Pallahara and Mahuldiha as part of the Talcher-Bimalagarh New Broad Gauge (BG) rail link project in Odisha.
Initially sanctioned in 2003-04, the Talcher-Bimalagarh rail link has faced extensive delays due to challenges in land acquisition, legal disputes, and other hurdles. Despite these setbacks, progress has been steady, with 26% of the 149.78 km project completed to date. Construction of 20 km of the rail line between Talcher and Sunakhani has been accomplished, with an additional 30.5 km stretch extending towards Khamar in Angul district currently underway.
The new tender, valued at ₹726.129 crore, covers crucial works including earthworks, bridge construction, drainage systems, station facilities, and other infrastructure for the Pallahara-Mahuldiha section. The ongoing construction efforts aim to accelerate the project’s completion, with work being carried out simultaneously from both ends of the rail line at Talcher and Bimalagarh.
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has been actively addressing land acquisition and litigation issues in coordination with state and district authorities. One of the project’s significant milestones was achieved in 2021 with the successful completion of a 840-meter tunnel at Baruan Hill, situated between Sunakhani and Samal stations, overcoming challenging geographical conditions.
Once completed, the Talcher-Bimalagarh rail link will significantly reduce the distance between Rourkela and Talcher by approximately 126 km. This shorter route is expected to facilitate the transportation of export-quality iron ore, boost local industries, and improve connectivity for remote areas in Angul, Deogarh, and Sundargarh districts, providing substantial economic benefits to the region.
