New Telangana-Odisha rail line to be first through Maoist belt

HYDERABAD: A railway line planned between Telangana and Odisha will for the first time pass through the Maoist-affected districts of Dantewada and Sukma in Chhattisgarh. The 186-km new railway line will start from Pandurangapuram in Bhadrachalam in Telangana and culminate at Malkangiri, while passing through the Naxal belt.

The project, which is estimated to cost nearly Rs 3,592 crore, will not only boost passenger movement but also help sectors such as agriculture, education and tourism, officials said.Once the survey begins, it will take a year to assess the technical and economic viability of the project.
New T'gana-Odisha rail line to be first through Naxal belt
A railway line between Telangana and Odisha will for the first time pass through the Maoist-affected districts of Dantewada and Sukma in Chhattisgarh. The 186-km new railway line will start from Pandurangapuram, Bhadrachalam in Telangana and culminate at Malkangiri in Odisha, while passing through the Naxal belt. The project which is estimated to cost nearly 3,592 crore will not only boost passenger movement, but also help sectors like agriculture, education, tourism and healthcare.
"Laying line will require railways to secure approvals from both the forest and environment departments. Additionally, the uneven terrain poses a significant challenge in laying tracks that meet safety standards. Overcoming these hurdles will be crucial for successful completion of the project," said an official from South Central Railways (SCR).
For years, the people of Malkangiri, a region considered part of the 'Red Corridor' - area spanning eastern, central, and southern parts of India that is affected by the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency - have had to travel 110 km to Jeypore to access trains. The corridor covers around 11 states with major concentration in Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
The proposed railway line will provide direct rail connectivity from Malkangiri to Hyderabad, passing through Bhadrachalam and Warangal. Railway authorities also have plans to connect Badrachalam and Peddapalli, which will enable the people of Malkangiri to travel to New Delhi via Ramagundam and Nagpur.
According to railway officials, given its importance, final location survey (FLS) for this new line has been sanctioned by the Union ministry of railways. Once the survey commences, it will take a year to assess the technical and economic viability of the project.
Apart from connecting several new places of Chhattisgarh and Odisha for the first time with a rail facility, this line will also reduce the distance between deep sea ports and mines (Kakinada) and industries of Odisha and Telangana.
Last year, the Union ministry of railways sanctioned nearly 15 FLS for new railway lines. These lines covered nearly 2,647 km and were estimated to cost nearly 50,848 crore. Apart from these, another 11 FLS have been sanctioned for doubling, tripling and quadrupling for a distance of nearly 2,588 km and are estimated to cost nearly 32,695 crore.