Bhubaneswar: The railways has completed construction work of 14.2 km from Parabil to Khamar of the 150-km Talcher-Bimalagarh new line project, overcoming land acquisition delays. Sources said the Parabil-Khamar section has now received general manager’s sanction for opening the stretch for goods traffic, taking the total commissioned length of the Talcher-Bimalagarh project to almost 34 km, covering the Talcher-Sunakhani-Samal-Parabil section along with the newly completed Parabil-Khamar stretch.The Parabil-Khamar portion is a critical part of the strategically important Talcher-Bimalagarh rail link, aimed at improving coal evacuation from Talcher coalfields and providing a shorter rail connectivity between Talcher and the Rourkela-Sundargarh belt. The Parabil-Khamar section is 14.2 km, involving acquisition of over 213 acres, including private, govt and forest land.Railway officials said substantial infrastructure has been created along the stretch, including over 10 lakh cubic metres of earthwork. 45 minor bridges and road underbridges have been built apart from six major bridges and road overbridges. “Track linking is complete over 17 km,” said sources. Two station buildings have been built at Parabil and Khamar stations, expected to serve both freight movement and future passenger services once the entire project is completed.Initially, the section will be utilised for goods traffic, mainly for coal and other mineral transportation.
