TNI Bureau: The Centre has allocated ₹950 crore for the Talcher–Bimalagarh railway project in the financial year 2026–27, even as the long-pending railway line continues to face delays due to land acquisition issues and legal disputes.

Replying to a Question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Dilip Kumar Ray, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the 150-km Talcher–Bimalagarh new railway line, sanctioned in the 2003-04 Railway Budget at an estimated cost of ₹727 crore, has witnessed a steep escalation in cost to ₹3,390 crore. Expenditure on the project has reached ₹1,901 crore up to March 2026, while an outlay of ₹950 crore has been provided for the financial year 2026–27.

The railway line, passing through Angul, Deogarh and Sundargarh districts, is one of Odisha’s long-pending railway infrastructure projects. The Hon’ble Minister said its execution has been affected primarily due to resistance in land acquisition and court cases.

The Ministry informed Parliament that 756 hectares of the total 863 hectares required for the project have already been acquired. This includes 342 hectares of private land, 269 hectares of forest land, and 146 hectares of government land, leaving 107 hectares yet to be acquired.

Construction has progressed across different sections of the route. While the 48-km Talcher–Khamar stretch has already been commissioned, work is underway on the remaining sections wherever land is available.

On the Khamar–Golabandha section, 110 hectares out of the required 137 hectares have been acquired. Railway authorities have completed 41 of 61 minor bridges, three of 11 Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and 12 of 16 Road Under Bridges (RUBs).
For the Mahuldiha–Bimalgarh section, 108 hectares of the required 134 hectares have been acquired. Forest and wildlife clearances have already been obtained, while 39 of 72 minor bridges and 12 of 25 RUBs have been completed. Land acquisition is also progressing on the Golabandha–Mahuldiha stretch, where 69 hectares out of 113 hectares have been acquired.

Highlighting the Centre’s focus on Odisha’s railway infrastructure, the Minister said the State has been allocated ₹10,928 crore for railway projects and safety works in 2026–27, compared to an average annual allocation of ₹838 crore during 2009–14. He further informed that 55 railway projects covering 4,256 km, with a total cost of ₹81,739 crore, are currently under implementation in the State, of which 1,586 km have already been commissioned.

The Minister, however, did not specify a deadline for completion of the Talcher–Bimalagarh project, stating that execution depends on factors such as pending land acquisition, forest clearances, utility shifting, statutory approvals, geological conditions and law-and-order situations.
The parliamentary intervention reflects Dilip Kumar Ray’s sustained commitment to the timely completion of the Talcher–Bimalagarh railway project.