June 1, 2026

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Rayagada Railway Division Becomes Operational, To Oversee Railway Projects Across 1,360 Km

Around Odisha Bureau03 mins

Rayagada, June 1, 2026: In a major push to railway infrastructure and regional development in South Odisha, the newly created Rayagada Railway Division under the East Coast Railway (ECoR) officially became operational from June 1.
The division has been formed following the bifurcation of the erstwhile Waltair Division and will function under the East Coast Railway zone. Railway officials said the new administrative setup is aimed at improving railway operations, strengthening project monitoring, accelerating infrastructure development and ensuring faster coordination with government agencies, industries and local stakeholders.
According to the Railway Ministry notification, the Rayagada Division has jurisdiction over 696 route kilometres (RKm), comprising the 164-km Koraput–Singapur Road section, the 442-km Kottavalasa–Kirandul (KK) Line, the 36-km Kuneru–Theruvali section and the 54-km Gunupur–Paralakhemundi section. The division covers 68 railway stations and serves six districts of Odisha—Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Gajapati and Kandhamal.
The newly operational division will be headed by a Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) and supported by nearly 40 officers and around 600 railway employees. Development of the divisional headquarters, office buildings and staff facilities is being undertaken in phases.
Significantly, the Rayagada Division will oversee railway infrastructure projects spanning nearly 1,360 km, involving an estimated investment of around ₹20,020 crore. Major projects under its jurisdiction include the 130-km Jeypore–Malkangiri new line, the 38-km Jeypore–Nabarangpur new line, the 116.21-km Junagarh–Nabarangpur new line, the 173.61-km Malkangiri–Pandurangapuram via Bhadrachalam new line, the 73.62-km Gunupur–Therubali new line and the 189.278-km Kottavalasa–Koraput doubling project. Apart from these, capacity enhancement works on the strategically important KK Line and several operational improvement projects are also expected to gain momentum under the new divisional setup.
Railway authorities stated that the division is expected to emerge as a major freight hub, handling more than 40 million tonnes of freight annually. Iron ore from the Kirandul–Bacheli mining belt, along with alumina, bauxite, steel products, slag, fly ash and other industrial commodities, will form the backbone of freight traffic. To strengthen logistics infrastructure, GatiShakti Cargo Terminals have been proposed at Singaram, Tikiri, Bhansi, Mallividu and Bheja. The proposed Bhansi and Mallividu terminals are expected to handle around 7 MTPA and 5 MTPA freight respectively.
Officials said the establishment of the divisional headquarters at Rayagada is expected to boost local economic activity by generating employment opportunities and increasing demand for housing, transport, healthcare, education and commercial services. The operationalisation of the Rayagada Railway Division is being viewed as a landmark development that will accelerate railway expansion, improve connectivity and unlock new avenues of economic growth across South Odisha and adjoining regions.

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