Odisha’s Khurda Road Division achieves record freight loading, leads Indian Railways performance

The Khurda Road Division of East Coast Railway (ECoR) has achieved its best-ever freight loading performance after handling an unprecedented 183 million tonnes (MT) of total traffic up to October 2025, comprising 101 MT of loading and 82 MT of unloading, stated the ECoR in a post on X.

The record helps the division maintain its position as the top-performing division across Indian Railways.

Khurda Road Division Sets New Records

ECoR said that Khurda Road’s achievement marks the highest-ever freight handling recorded by any division under Indian Railways this financial year. Meanwhile, across the Indian Railways network, Bilaspur Division ranked second with 148 MT, followed by Dhanbad (132 MT) and Chakradharpur (127 MT).

Significantly, the Khurda Road Division became the fastest in its history to reach 100 MT of loading, achieving the milestone in just 213 days (as of October 30, 2025). The previous record stood at 234 days during 2024–25.

Adding to its list of milestones, the division registered an all-time high of 14.52 MT of loading in October 2025, surpassing all earlier monthly records. This is the first time the division’s monthly loading crossed the 14-million-tonne mark.

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Rs 501 Crore Third Line Project Under ECoR

In a parallel development, the Indian Railways has floated a Rs 501-crore tender for constructing a third line between Khurda Road and Gangadharpur, covering 58 km.

The project, under East Coast Railway’s jurisdiction, forms a critical link in the 363-km Khurda Road–Vizianagaram third line, part of the busy Howrah–Chennai mainline, which is one of India’s most vital corridors for both freight and passenger trains.

The scope of the tender includes civil and electrical works, formation of roadbeds, construction of bridges and underpasses, and installation of signalling and electrification systems. It also involves the relocation of power lines to accommodate the upgraded track infrastructure.

The tender process will close on December 17, with completion targeted within 30 months of award.