Nayagarh: The first regular passenger train to Nayagarh Town on the Khurda Road-Bolangir railway line project was flagged off by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu through video conference today in presence of Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani at Rail Bhawan in New Delhi.
While train on this route was earlier running from Khurda Road to Bolagarh Road, it was extended till Nayagarh. Besides, flagging off the new passenger train service, Prabhu inaugurated the Nayagarh Town Station building and public halt at Bolagarh.
Pradhan thanked Prabhu for dedicating the project to public and also asked the latter to set up a public toilet at Bolagarh.
A special inauguration function had been organised at Nayagarh Road station on this occasion. The event was graced by Nayagarh MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo. Divisional Railway Manager of Khurda Road Brijmohan Agrawal and CEO of East Cost Railway (ECoR) RS Dubey were also present on the occasion at Nayagarh Town Station.
Earlier on May 11, a trial run of an engine had been conducted on this 12 kilometre railway route out of the 289-km-long railway line project. Later, a Speed trial of a passenger train was also conducted from Nayagarh to Bolagarh on June 6 to check if the section was fit for carriage of passenger traffic.
It is pertinent to note that the 54.5-km railway track between Khurda Road and Bolagarh has already been commissioned and two pairs of trains are plying along the line.