Update on March 9 2010: As per http://www.khaskhabar.com/daily-news.php?storyid=23144 Mamata Banerjee announced 6 more trains in the Lok Sabha. One of them will pass through Odisha. That one is:

  • HWH-Sri Satya Sai Prasanti Nilayam (weekly).

Following are excerpted from the 2010-11 Railway Budget Speech and the Pink Book.

Page 5: In line with our Vision, for the first time ever we are planning a major jump to complete 1,000 route-kms of new lines in one year with our limited resources. This is a path-breaking step, considering the annual average of 180 route kms of new lines in the last 58 years and 219 route-kms in the last five years. If we can achieve this target of 1,000 route-kms, we can also reach the Vision 2020 goal of 25,000 kms.

The House would be glad to know that of the 120 new trains, extensions and increase in frequencies announced, 117 would be flagged off by the end of March 2010. The remaining three would be started on completion of gauge conversion works.

Work has been initiated in all the 67 Multi-functional Complexes (MFCs). Development of Adarsh Stations has also started in phases.

Page 6: Adarsh Stations: Angul, Belpahar, Doikallu, Jakhapura, Jharsuguda, Lanjigarh Road, Lapanga, Meramandali, Raghunathpur, Rengali, Titlagarh Jn.

Page 7: another 93 Multi-functional Complexes – Balasore, Brahmapur, Jharsuguda, Rayagada, Sambalpur

Page 12: Outpatient Departments (OPD) and diagnostic centres – Balasore, Balugaon, Bhadrak, Bhubaneswar, Brahmapur, Jajpur Keonjhar Rd, Jharsuguda, Kantabanji, Kesinga, Khurda Rd, Koraput Jn, Rayagada, Rourkela, Sambalpur Jn, Titlagarh

Page 13: Secondary-level General Speciality Hospitals –  Bhadrak, Brahmapur, Jajpur Keonjhar Rd, Jharsuguda, Kantabanji,  Koraput Jn, Rayagada

Page 14: Tertiary-level Multi-speciality Hospitals – Kantabanji

[In case some may wonder, why Kantabanji, a town of 22K is listed above: My guess is it is because Kantabanji is the constituency of Santosh Singh Saluja, Congress; a senior leader of the opposition in the Orissa legislative assembly.]

Page 15: The railways will also set up four multidisciplinary training centres at Cuttack, Coochbehar, Malda and Jabalpur.

Page 17: set up five state-of-the-art wagon factories in JV/PPP mode at Secunderabad, Barddhaman, Bhubaneshwar/Kalahandi, Guwahati and Haldia.

[It would be great if the above happens in Kalahandi. Kudos to Dr. Digambara Patra and Kalahandi MP Bhakta Das for their efforts on this.]

Page 20: For the remaining four corridors, that is north-south (Delhi, Haryana, UP, MP, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu), east-west (West Bengal, Jharkahnd, Orissa, Chhatisgarh, Maharashtra), east-south (West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh) and south-south (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa), Preliminary Engineering-cum-Traffic Survey (PETS) will be taken up this
year.

Madam, I had declared DFC as the “Diamond Rail Corridor” project of the Indian Railways. On the lines of DFC, we are now planning to go in for Dedicated Passenger Corridor (DPC), which I declare as the “Golden Rail Corridor” of the Indian Railways.

Therefore, I propose to set up a National High Speed Rail Authority for planning, standard setting, implementing and monitoring these projects.

Page 24: In my last budget speech, I had highlighted the need to take up socially desirable projects connecting backward areas. Many proposals for such connectivity have been pending for a long time. It is proposed to update the surveys for the following lines and thereafter these will be processed through Planning Commission for necessary approvals:

Navrangpur-Jeypore

Phulbani-Berhampur

Puri-Konark

Raipur-Jharsuguda

Gunupur-Theruvali

Jeypore-Malkangiri

Page 26: New Line Surveys

Talcher-Phulbani-Lanjigarh

Junagarh-Jaypore-Malkangiri-Bhadrachalam

[The above needs to be pushed hard. It will bring connectivity to the hinterlands and Maoist belt of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.]

Page 29: The sections which have either been completed or will be completed during 2009-10 are:

Lanjigarh – Bhawanipatna of Lanjigarh – Junagarh

[Why no train has been announced to ply on this line?]

Page 30: The sections covering 1021 kms proposed to be completed in 2010-11 are:

Bhawanipatna – Junagarh of Lanjigarh – Junargarh

Khurda – Begunia of Khurda – Bolangir

[Next year the Bhubaneswar – Khurda passenger should be extended to Begunia]

Page 31: The following new line projects have been included in the Budget:- Digha-Jaleshwar

Gauge Conversion: The sections which have either been completed or will be completed during 2009-10 are:

Baripada – Bangriposi of Rupsa – Bangriposi

[Why extension of Baripada express to Bangiriposi was not proposed?]

Page 33: During the current year doubling of about 500 km is likely to be completed. The target for doubling of 700 km has been fixed for 2010-11. The following new doubling works have been included in the Budget:

Talcher-Sambalpur

Delang-Puri

[The above two are important; especially the later as many trains are now being extended to Puri.]

Champajharan-Bimlagarh

Page 35: Port Connectivity 120. In order to promote industrial activity, the State Governments and the Centre are giving thrust on the development of the ports. Ports are expected in the States of Gujarat – Porbander, Sutrapada, Dholera, Mahuva, Hazira, Tuna; Maharashtra – Revas, Dharamtar, Dighi; Karnataka – Karwar; Kerala – Azhikkal, Beypore, Thalassery; Orissa – Astranga, Chudamani, Gopalpur; Andhra Pradesh – Vodarevu, Nizampatnam; West Bengal – Sagar Kapil Muni, Haldia.

Railways will welcome participation under PPP for providing rail connectivity to such ports.

I am happy to inform the Hon’ble Members that Indian Railways would be completing about 2,300 route kms of electrification in the first three years of the XI Plan against the target of 3500 kms for the five year period. Another 2,000 kms are planned in the remaining two years.

The following sections are under active consideration:

Vizianagram-Raigada

In addition to above, feasibility studies for the following sections will be undertaken:

Angul-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda

Page 39 – The following unreserved trains are being proposed for the common people:

ii. Guwahati-Mumbai(Weekly) via Howrah-Tatanagar-Jharsuguda-Bilaspur-Nagpur

Bharat Tirth Trains

139. To support government’s effort of promoting tourism in our country, Railways will launch special tourist trains called “Bharat Tirth” connecting popular tourist sites in different parts of the country

ii. Howrah-Chennai- Puducherry- Madurai – Rameshwaram-Kanyakumari-Bangalore – Mysore – Chennai-Howrah

iii. Howrah- Vizag- Hyderabad- Araku- Howrah

[Why no mention of Bhubaneswar-Puri-Chilika in the above two?]

ix. Ahmedabad-Puri-Kolkata-Gangasagar-Varanasi-Allahabad-Indore-Omkareshwar-Ujjain-Ahmedabad

Page 40: Duronto Services

Pune –Howrah AC (Bi- weekly)

Daytime: Puri – Howrah

[Either is not much use for people of Odisha. Hopefully the Duronto concept will soon be revamped to include a few more stops – especially the technical stops – on the way. May be they can say Duranto’s will have at most 2 stops other than the start and end point. In case of Howrah-Puri Duranto the stops could be Bhubaneswar and Kharagpur with the restriction that from HWH-Puri it can pick passengers only at KGP and only drop at BBS and in the reverse directions it can pick passengers at BBS and only drop passengers at KGP.]

Page 41: the following long distance new services are being proposed:

iv. Howrah-Katpadi(Vellore)-Puducherry Express via Bhubaneswar (Weekly)

x. Haldia – Chennai Express (Weekly)

xix. New Jalpaiguri – Chennai Express (Weekly)

xxii. Bhubaneswar-Pune Express (Weekly)

xxxiv. Sambalpur-Howrah Express (Weekly)

[The above may be routed through Angul.]

xlv. Howrah – Berhampur Express (Tri- weekly)

[I think the above refers to Berhampur in Orissa. Note that in the budget speech that same spelling is used in many places to refer to Berhampur in Odisha; for example, when mentioning the Phulbani-Berhampur line. There is a Berhampore Ct station in West Bengal but that is better reachable from Sealdah than HWH and there are many daily trains connecting Sealdah and Berhampore Ct. So a tri-weekly express in that route does not make sense. Now, if indeed this train is between HWH and Berhampur of Odisha then it should be extended to Gunupur and made a daily.]

xlvi. Baripada – Shalimar Intercity Express (Tri – weekly)

l. Howrah – Shirdi Express (Weekly)

li. Puri – Valsad Express (Weekly) via Katni- Bhopal – Vadodara

lii. Puri-Digha Express (Weekly)

Page 43: Madam, I would further like to assure the House that 2937/2938 Gandhidham–Howrah Express will be started by the 10th of March, 2010.

Passenger trains

xiii. Bhubaneswar-Khurda Road Passenger

[How many times a day the above will run?]

xxvi. Naupada-Gunupur Passenger (after gauge conversion)

Page 45:

Increase in frequency of trains

ix. 2807/2808 Visakhapatnam-Nizamuddin Samata Express from 3 days to 5 days

[Very useful for that part of Odisha.]

Extension of trains

x. 2831/2832 Bhubaneswer-Hatia Express to Dhanbad (Tri-weekly)

[Brings new connectivity to Dhanbad.]

xi. 8425/8426 Puri –Raipur Express to Durg

xii. 8447/8448 Bhubaneswar-Koraput Express to Jagdalpur

[Brings express train connectivity to Jeypore and Jagdalpur.]

xiii. 209/210 Puri-Dhenkanal Passenger to Talcher Road (Daily) 

From the pink book: 

New Lines Construction Budget:

Daitari – Banspani (155 km)   75 crores

[In the 2009-10 budget 60 crores was allocated for it and the budget said only 10 crores more was needed for completion, the total budget estimation was 367.1 (cap) + 483.6 (RVN) crores, with 367.1 + 413.6 already spent. But suddenly in the 2010-11 budget the budget estimation is 367.1 + 933.41 (RVN). I.e., it has increased by about 450 crores, there is an allocation of 75 crores, and amount spent so far is 367.1+ 671.85 crores. I wonder if the Bansapani – Barbil proposal has been folded into this with post-budget money allocation and spending in 2009-10. Note that the survey of Bansapani – Barbil was approved in the 2008-09 budget and Odisha has been pushing for this. It would also benefit Indian Railways a lot as it will drastically shorten the time and distance between Barbil and Bansapani. Perhaps this was such a no-brainer that it was folded in to the original project as soon as the survey was done. ]

Lanjigarh Road – Junagarh (56 km) 60 crores

Khurda Road – Bolangir (289 km)  120 crores

Angul – Sukinda Road (98.7 km) 22.50 crores

Haridaspur – Paradeep (82 km) 101 crores

Talcher – Bimlagarh (154 km)  50 crores

Jaleswar – Digha (41 km) 20 crores

[Good allocation for Khurda-balangir and Talcher-Bimlagarh. The state government should gear up on land acquisition  so that the allocated money is actually spent] 

Odisha should push 2-3 more trains to be announced during the debate. My top choices would be:

  • Gunupur – Naupada- Berhampur – Bhubaneswar-Rourkela day time express
  • Junagarh-Bhawanipatna-Bhubaneswar Express.
  • Extend Howrah-Titlagarh Ispat Express to Junagarh.