Odisha CM writes to railways Minister demanding Bhubaneshwar- Rourkela Shatabdi Express

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has written to Railways Minister Piyush Goyal demanding Shatabdi connectivity between Bhubaneswar and Rourkela via Jharsuguda in the state.

In a letter dated January 23, the Chief Minister said: "Though Odisha is a major contributor to the growth of Railways, it still continues without commensurate railway infrastructure and services. While Odisha is the biggest contributor of freight revenues, the passenger growth too has been much higher than the national average."

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Patnaik said that the connectivity with Bhubaneswar through Shatabdi would serve the genuine transportation demand of the people of these two cities.

"I would, therefore, request that a Shatabdi Express be introduced between Bhubaneswar and Rourkela via Jharsuguda as Jharsuguda is a major industrial hub in western Odisha and steel city of Rourkela is the smart city of the state, their connectivity with Bhubaneswar through a premium service like Shatabdi would serve the genuine transportation demand of people of these two significantly important cities of my state," he wrote.

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The state government is demanding introduction and enhancement of premium rail services such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Humsafar, Tejas, and Uday Express trains for connecting important destinations in the state.