Bhubaneswar: Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra on Wednesday urged railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to reconsider the recent restructuring of the Waltair railway division, stating that the move has adversely affected Odisha’s railway network by fragmenting key routes and weakening administrative coherence.In a detailed letter to the railway minister, Patra said the reorganisation of the proposed Visakhapatnam railway division of the South Coast Railway (SCoR) has resulted in railway lines intrinsically linked to Odisha’s geography, economy and internal connectivity being split across multiple railway zones, creating operational inefficiencies and diluting the state’s stake in its own infrastructure.A major concern flagged by the MP relates to the Koraput-Kirandul (KK) line, a critical mineral freight corridor. Though officially shown under the proposed Rayagada division of ECoR, parts of the line in Andhra Pradesh are administered by SCoR. Patra said this broke a historically unified line, complicating freight prioritisation, maintenance planning and future upgrades, while also diverting revenue generated from Odisha’s mineral-rich regions outside the state-centric railway framework.Similar issues have arisen on the Naupada-Gunupur railway line, which is split between SCoR headquartered at Visakhapatnam and ECoR headquartered at Bhubaneswar. “This dual administration weakens integrated regional planning, creates service inconsistencies and divides passenger and freight revenue linked to Odisha,” he added.The MP also raised objections to the placement of the Palasa-Ichchapuram section under SCoR. Patra warned that administering this entire stretch outside ECoR limits Odisha’s influence over infrastructure planning, station development and service prioritisation, despite its direct impact on districts like Ganjam and Gajapati.Another key issue highlighted is the absence of a direct railway linkage between Khurda Road division, the headquarters of East Coast Railway, and the proposed Rayagada division. Patra said intra-Odisha coordination increasingly depends on routes passing through another railway zone, raising concerns over disaster response, operational control and freight management.Taken together, Patra said the Waltair restructuring has led to division of continuous railway lines, increased inter-zonal dependency and diffusion of revenue generated from Odisha’s passengers and resources.Calling for corrective measures, he urged the railways to restore Odisha-linked corridors under an Odisha-centric administrative framework. As a long-term solution, Patra renewed the demand for a separate and unified Odisha Railway Zone, an idea earlier proposed by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, to ensure cohesive planning, revenue retention and stronger railway governance aligned with the state’s needs.Earlier, ECoR had clarified that the transfer of the Palasa-Ichchapuram section from ECoR to SCoR would not affect its revenue.
