Bhubaneswar, Nov 7 (PTI) In a significant milestone for the Khurda Road-Balangir rail line project, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has given its go-ahead for commissioning the 16.2-km stretch between Jharmunda and Boudh stations.

It was a critical development in the construction of the railway line that would improve connectivity to the interior parts of Odisha, officials said on Thursday.

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The construction work in the 13.7-km Boudh-Champapur section, and 13.4-km Champapur-Purunakatak section is also going on in full swing, a statement said.

"To ensure faster completion, construction efforts are being undertaken from both ends simultaneously," it said.

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The total length of the Khurda Road-Balangir rail line will be 301 km, and 199 km of it has already been commissioned. Another 27 km from Boudh to Purunakatak is about to be completed soon, officials said.

The remaining 75 km from Purunakatak to Daspalla, which passes through challenging terrain, including jungles, is progressing well. This section has multiple tunnels, they said.

The project holds great significance for enhancing transportation and economic development in remote areas, the statement said.

"Despite facing formidable engineering challenges, particularly in tunnel construction through rugged terrain, the project continues to achieve major milestones," it said.

After a successful inspection of the safety aspects of the Jharmunda-Boudh section, the CRS gave its go-ahead for running of train traffic, the statement issued by the East Coast Railway said.

However, train services will commence in this section after completion of other infrastructural and passenger amenities work. A light engine trial run has already been conducted, it said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)