PM Modi sanctions 32-km-long Puri-Konark railway project: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Bhubaneswar, Feb 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned a new railway line project to connect the holy city of Puri with Konark.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that PM Modi has sanctioned the Puri-Konark railway line project, a long-standing demand of the state.

He added that the land acquisition process for the project will commence now.

He said the railway line between Puri and Konark will help immensely in the promotion of spiritual, heritage and coastal tourism.

"Our long-held dream of connecting Puri with Konark through the railway line is going to be materialised soon," Vaishnaw added.

The Union Minister also said that Rs 492 crore has been sanctioned for construction of this 32-km-long railway line to connect Puri Jagannath temple and the Sun Temple of Konark.

"We will run the Vistadome train on this line. The vistadome trains have glass roofs and window panes at both sides so that you can get the view of beautiful and pleasant surroundings. Besides, we are planning to showcase the Shri Jagannath culture to the passengers inside the trains using Augmented and Virtual Reality technology," Vaishnaw added.

He said: "The Railways will consult with the sevayats (priests worshipping Lord Jagannath) and Jagannath Temple administration for this. Apart from this, four to five tourist hubs will be made in this railway line."

Vaishnaw also added: "The project has been sanctioned and funds are available. Work for this project will start just after getting land for construction of the railway line. Altogether, 217 acre of land is necessary for this project. I sought the state government's cooperation for the acquisition of land for the project."

The Railway Minister said that 409 Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) in Odisha have been constructed in the last 10 years and 220 ROBs and RUBs are currently under-construction in the state.

He released five commemorative postage stamps on legendary poets of Odisha and cultural heritage of western Odisha through video conferencing from Bhubaneswar.

He also inaugurated 42 branch post offices in seven districts of western Odisha.