SUBARNAPUR, 20/6 — Prime Minister to lay foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation of railway projects worth over Rs. 2750 crore. He will inaugurate the new Sonepur-Purunakatak railway line built at a cost of Rs 1376 crore. For the first time, the railway network has reached the district headquarters of Boudh in the Sonepur-Purunakatak section. Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Odisha on 20th June 2025. During this visit, the Prime Minister will lay foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation of schemes worth over Rs. 2750 crore. This event is a big step towards realizing the vision of ‘Vikashit Bharat – Vikashit Odisha’. This visit of the Prime Minister is going to be historic on the occasion of completing 11 years of service, good governance and poor welfare and one year of the Odisha Government.
During this visit, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the third and fourth railway lines between Sarala -Sasan. This project will reduce traffic congestion on the busiest railway section like Jharsuguda-Sambalpur and increase industrial and passenger transport. In addition, the Prime Minister will inaugurate a 73 km long new railway line between Sonepur-Purunakatak. This railway line is a part of the 301 km long Khordha Road-Balangir railway line. With its construction, the district headquarters of Boudh is going to be connected to the railway network for the first time. The region will now be included in the railway map of India, which is going to fulfill the decades-old dream of the locals. In addition, devotees will be able to get convenience in going to and from the Bhairavi Temple. For the first time, direct rail connectivity is being achieved between Sonepur and Purunakatak through the new railway line, which will further strengthen the social and economic connectivity of the region. On this occasion, the Prime Minister will launch a new railway service for the people of Odisha. With the new train service, the areas of Boudh district will get affordable and convenient rail services with the capital Bhubaneswar for the first time. Railway development in Odisha has achieved unprecedented pace in the last 11 years. The railway network in the state has been 100 percent electrified and 59 stations in the state are being developed as Amrit Stations with modern amenities. At the same time, 17 districts of the state are getting the benefit of modern rail travel through 6 Vande Bharat trains. The new trains to be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister are 18313/18314 Boudh-Bhubaneswar New-Boudh Weekly Express and 18311/18312 Sambalpur-Boudh-Sambalpur Weekly Express. 18313/18314 Boudh-Bhubaneswar New-Boudh Weekly Express will depart from Boudh every Monday at 07:00 hrs and will reach Bhubaneswar New at 06:15 hrs via Balangir-Sambalpur-Angul-Naraj. On the return route, the train will depart from Bhubaneswar New at 11:00 hrs on Monday and will reach Boudh at 10:30 hrs on Tuesday. Similarly, 18311/18312 Sambalpur-Boudh-Sambalpur Weekly Express from Sambalpur will depart from Boudh at 07:25 hrs on Sunday and will reach Boudh at 11:55 hrs on the same day. On the return journey, the train will depart from Boudh at 12:15 PM on Tuesday and reach Sambalpur at 7:30 PM on the same day. In addition, Bhubaneswar-Sonepur-Bhubaneswar Intercity Express and two pairs of Balangir-Sonepur Shuttle Passenger trains will run up to Purunakatak for the first time, informed the Eastcost Railway. Report – Ugrasen Karmi.
