East Coast Railway (ECoR) has recorded a 21.63 per cent growth in its total earnings at Rs 6638.21 crore in 2008-09 as against Rs 5457.37 crore in the previous fiscal.
EcoR earned Rs 5457.37 crore in 2008-09 and Rs Rs 4424.76 crore in 2007-08, minister of state for railways E Ahamed said in reply to a question of Rajya Sabha member Renubala Pradhan.
The minister said as many as 188 different trains were set to originate from Orissa.
This includes 92 express trains, 4 Rajadhani expresses and 92 passenger trains. The railway stations in Orissa are under the jurisdiction of three zonal railways; South-East Central Railway, South Eastern Railway and ECoR.
The minister, however, ruled out to run a direct express train from Berhampur in south Orissa to New Delhi.
There is no proposal at present to run a direct train from Berhampur to New Delhi, Ahamed told Pradhan.
In order to improve the railway network in the state, the ministry of railways has undertaken the survey work of at least 10 different new lines which fall either fully or partially in the state, said Ahamed.The new lines which are undertaken for the survey include the extension of Naupada-Gunupur line up to Theruvali, Junagarh-Ambaguda, Kantabanji-Rajkhariar-Ampani-Nabarangapur-Jeypore, Khurda Road-Rajatgarh by-passing Bhubaneswar, Rayagada-Gopalpur, Raigarh-Mand Colliery to Bhupdeopur, Bansapani-Barbil, Keonjhar-Badampahar, Digha-Jaleswar-Puri and Malkanagiri-Dantewara lines.
The survey for the new line from Berhampur to Sambalpur has been included in the Railway Budget for 2009-10, the minister stated.
However, the minister said there are no plans to construct new railway line connecting Berhampur with Bolangir via Phulabani and Gopalpur with Dasapalla in Nayagarh district via Aska and Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district
It may be noted that the railway routes passes through 23 districts of the state. The seven districts that have no railway network are Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Boudh, Deogarh, Kendrapara, Malkanagiri and Nabarangapur.
