Cuttack–Sambalpur line: Difference between revisions

  | tracks      = Double track from Cuttack to Rairakhol. Single track from Rairakhol to Sambalpur.

In 1922, a railway line was built from Talcher to Nergundi to connect the coalfields in Talcher to the [[Howrah-Chennai main line]].<ref name="frontline">{{cite web|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2208/stories/20050422001510000.htm|website=Frontline.in|title=A saga of performance|access-date=2017-12-16}}</ref> But since there was a needto connect the coalfields of Western Odisha to Eastern Odisha, the Talcher–Sambalpur railway project was commissioned in 1983 and the work began in 1987. It was completed in 1996 and became operational in 1998. The flagging off of the [[Tapaswini Express]], the first passenger train of the section by the Hon'ble Minister of Railways, fulfilled the long cherished dream of the people of Odisha to have a cultural, emotional, and socio-economic integration of the eastern and western parts of the State. This rail link, apart from relieving congestion of the Howrah–Mumbai and Howrah–Chennai trunk routes, reduced the distance between Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Puri,  respectively the commercial, political, and cultural capitals of Odisha, to important Indian cities of Western and Northern India such as Mumbai, New Delhi, etc. by 380&nbsp;km.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eastcoastrail.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1302602482123-Talcher-Sambalpur.pdf|format=PDF|title=Talcher-Sambalpur|website=Eastcoastrail.indianrailways.gov.in|access-date=14 January 2018}}</ref>

The track doubling and the electrification of the Nergundi–Talcher section were completed in 2015. The Angul–Sambalpur section electrification was completed in 2018. The track doubling work of Angul-Boinda and Rairakhol-Sambalpur sections are under progress. The tentative date of its completion is set to 2020.<ref name="indiatimes">{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Electrification-doubling-of-rly-lines-to-be-over-by-2020/articleshow/49764386.cms|title=Electrification, doubling of rly lines to be over by 2020|newspaper=[[Times of India]]|access-date=2017-12-16}}</ref> <ref>https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pm-modi-unveils-slew-of-projects-worth-over-rs-1550-cr-in-odisha/articleshow/67537519.cms</ref>

[[Talcher Coalfield]] with reserves of 38.65&nbsp;billion tonnes, the largest in India,<ref>{{cite web | url =http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in/gsiDoc/pub/IndiaCoalResources2004.pdf | title =Coal Resources of India (As on 1.1.2004) | publisher =Coal Wing, Geological Survey of India, Kolkata | access-date =2012-11-30 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120327022156/http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in/gsiDoc/pub/IndiaCoalResources2004.pdf | archive-date =2012-03-27 | df =dmy-all }}</ref> is located on the Cuttack–Sambalpur line.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://coal.nic.in/sites/upload_files/coal/files/captiveblockold/listof17blocks/01_Sarapal-Nuaparha_Salient_Feature.pdf|format=PDF|title=SARAPAL-NUAPARHA, TALCHER COALFIELD|website=Coal.nic.in|access-date=14 January 2018}}</ref> This railway line connects the MCL coalfields of [[Brajrajnagar]] and [[Talcher]] in western and eastern Odisha respectively.

[[Cuttack railway station|Cuttack]], [[Dhenkanal railway station|Dhenkanal]], [[Angul railway station|Angul]], [[Talcher road railway station|Talcher road ]] and [[Sambalpur railway station|Sambalpur]] are the busiest railway stations in this section.