1 month ago
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Following governmental backlash implicit a connection to determination 7 railway stations nether the East Coast Railway (ECoR) to the recently created South Coast Railway portion (SCoR), the Ministry of Railways has clarified that the determination volition not effect successful gross nonaccomplishment connected relationship of freight loading.
The 7 stations, Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi, and Ichchapuram, “are situated successful Srikakulam territory of Andhra Pradesh, nary of these stations are located wrong Odisha,” a elder authoritative from Indian Railways told The Hindu.
These stations are tiny to mid-sized, handling chiefly rider traffic. “None of them is simply a large freight loading point,” the authoritative added.
ECoR earned ₹29,251.52 crore gross successful 2025-26 from freight loading of 286 metric tonnes (MT), chiefly consisting of robust ore, coal, and bauxite, up to 10.43% much that 2024-25 erstwhile it earned ₹26,262.59 crore portion loading 259.25 MT.
“ECoR is the apical earning portion for Indian Railways owed to freight loading gross and this inclination volition not beryllium affected arsenic pointed retired by definite governmental quarters,” the authoritative added.
The clarification comes aft a governmental backlash successful Odisha pursuing an April 2 connection from the Railway Board which projected the inclusion of 7 railway stations nether a 52-km agelong section, presently nether Khurda Road part of ECoR, successful the projected Visakhapatnam part of South Coast Railway (SCoR).
“The projected caller bound betwixt Visakhapatnam division/SCoR and Khurda Road division/ECoR whitethorn beryllium advised to the Board’s bureau astatine the earliest,” Rameshwer Meena, Executive Director (Efficiency & Research), stated successful the communication.
Opposition parties successful Odisha, including the Congress and the Biju Janta Dal (BJD), criticised the decision, saying that ‘shrinking’ of the ECoR jurisdiction volition impact its freight earnings.
“Pass done freight postulation (trains transiting done these stations en route) volition proceed uninterrupted careless of which zone’s jurisdiction the stations autumn under,” the authoritative said.
Railway operations are seamless crossed zonal boundaries. “All existing trains including Palasa - Bhubaneshwar, Palasa - Cuttack and Ichchapuram - Cuttack MEMU/passenger services volition proceed to run without immoderate alteration successful schedule, route, oregon frequency. This is simply a method revision to guarantee creaseless functioning of the rider services successful Vishakapatnam division,” the authoritative added.
The modalities of the transportation including unit deployment, are being finalised betwixt ECoR and SCoR. The interests and work conditions of each railway employees volition beryllium afloat protected arsenic per established norms, the clarification said.
