The proposed expansion of Bhubaneswar station to 10 platforms should be implemented asap
Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, ECOR, World-class stations January 30th. 2012, 1:06amThanks very much Bikash Dash for the pointer to http://wiki.iricen.gov.in/
Following are some pictures from the above mentioned slide sets.
The main hurdle with respect to the above plan is the private land that is marked as "to be acquired". That part is shown in red in the map below.
I hope that hurdle is overcome and the expansion gets going asap. If there is trouble then a simple alternative is to move the commercial part to the area marked in green (in the map below) and make the parking area marked in orange a multi-level one with the underground part going under the Janpath to the commercial complex marked in green.
Since the land marked in green is government land this would not cause a lot of trouble and as mentioned before it will connect the station complex with the IG park, Secretariate, Assembly, and Rabindra mandap. In the future there may be a Las Vegas style monorail connecting all these parts. (Note that this plan will not affect the existing coaching yard much. That money can be used in making the underground path connecting the green part and the orange part.)
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But in 10-15 years the ten platforms will not be enough; especially when there will be many suburban routes with more frequent trains. Examples of such lines:
- Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark (Puri-Konark extension is expected)
- Bhubaneswar-Berhampur-Gopalpur (Berhampur-Gopalpur extension is expected; post connectivity)
- Bhubaneswar-Khurda Rd-Nayagarh (part of Khurda-Balangir line)
- Bhubaneswar-Talcher
- Bhubaneswar-Rajathgarh-Tangi
- Bhubaneswar-Bhadrak
- Bhubaneswar-Paradeep
- Bhubaneswar-Barang-Astaranga (new port connectivity)
- Bhubaneswar-Puri-Baliharchandi (new port connectivity)
- Bhubaneswar-Jakhapura-Sukinda
So the alternative plan of a major station near Barang should also proceed but with a slower speed. Especially the land should be acquired asap before the prices become very high.
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January 30th, 2012 at 1:11 am
This is great. What happened to the Puri plan? Are you aware?
January 30th, 2012 at 1:18 am
No info on Puri plan.
January 30th, 2012 at 1:20 am
See http://ibnlive.in.com/news/hc-notice-to-railways-on-puri-station/196458-60-117.html on the HC notice on Puri station. I think that will make IR and ECOR move on it.
January 30th, 2012 at 4:56 am
I think the future railway station for the State Capital Region should be Khurda Road instead of Baranga. This is mainly because all the major institutes (IIT, AIIMS) and even the future airport of the City Region will come up in its vicinity. Khurda being the divisional HQs and with plenty of land available here will make a grand railway station. Further, the Puri line originates from here and in future the Bolangir line will also originate from here making it a big railway junction. Further this station will decongest the capital city and the existing city railway station and will make easy connectivity for all the upcoming institutions. Baranga is surrounded by smaller villages and rivers and hence multi-laned roads and required infrastructure will require huge displacement.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
Sir,
I dont think railway may increase the number of platforms.Instead they may go for a new setup like the Anand Vihar terminal which will be better.Again they may justify going either ways saying that even Nizamuddin handles 10 times more traffic with just 5 to 6 platforms.We need a concrete justification .
January 30th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Because it has been announced to make a world class station in BBS one or the other option will be done.
The main justification for expanding at the current location is that it is financially feasible as per IR’s calculation.
Note that the number of trains passing through BBS and Nizamuddin seem to be aroundthe same. I did not do an exact calculation but comparing http://indiarailinfo.com/arrivals/238?kkk=1327948985133 and http://indiarailinfo.com/arrivals/748?kkk=1327948968280 gives a rough idea. (To get an exact picture one needs to count the weekly frequency of the trains.) The passenger count (getting on and getting off) is a different issue and i don’t have figures for that.
January 30th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Sir,
the site you mentioned is not 100% accurate.We all know BBSR was declared a world class station long back.But we all know how railway implement things.And yes its unfare to compare BBSR with NZM.If we just count express and superfast trains that is more than enough to go beyond what BBSR receives including local trains as well.The EMU service in NZM will take it way ahead.Again the footfalls at the station are more than that of BBSR.We are now comapring a metro city with a city.So it will make diffrence.But yes BBSR deserves a new station and not just incresing number of platforms.If railways do there job then we can see RKL as the biggest junction in Orissa.But the same story of railways.Once the talcher-bansapani line is complete we will see more trains to BBSR from RKL side.So lets be prepared then be late.Even the Khurda-Bolangir line once completes will see increase in traffic.
February 8th, 2012 at 11:10 pm
Overall a very well executed plan indeed. Should be a very good step if implemented well.
Some challenges I foresee:
1. Land Acquisition: I dont see it as a major issue. Most of the land is under slum use, public/semi-public use or wholesale market.
It is a good step by itself to move the wholesale markets to the outskirts as it is. The semi-public institutions will have to be moved out to other appropriate and more modern facilities.
The most important hurdle I see is that a pretty major hospital of the town ie Neelachal Hospital is found within the area of land acquisition. Moving and compensating the placement of a hospital is a major issue. It’s forcible movement without proper handling is not something tolerated by courts or the people.
2. Construction: The kind of facilities envisioned in the plan is a massive construction project and one which is to happen bang in the middle of the city. This will cause major hardships to the city dwellers.
Thus it is very important that a very very high quality and capable contractor take up this project. And even it must present a carefully worked out construction plan which will cause minimal hardships to the people of the city and still be able to implement the project within a very very tight frame of time.
3. This is the most important hurdle in this plan.
The project requires at the minimum a couple of years of time before it can start, even if we consider that the bureaucracy works at lightning speed.
This is because before any construction can start on this project, a large number of small and large construction projects will have to be completed. This small projects are required so that the existing users of the land to be acquired can be moved out of the area.
The most important thing though, is that a new station at Barang will have to come up before any construction can start at the existing. Because I dont think the construction work can continue with the existing Bhubaneswar station functioning. During construction period we will probably have only two lines passing through the existing station with heavy speed limits of about 10 or 15kmph.
Thus the people of Bhubaneswar will need a new station at Barang and improved road connectivity to Khurda Road station so as to tide over the closure of Bhubaneswar station during construction period.
Also BMC and other city authorities will have to move many of the civic amenities like drainage, water, sewerage, electricity lines within the existing area outside the construction zone.
Thus overall the project needs about 2 years of prep time before any construction can begin. And then about 3 years more of construction time itself.
Though I believe at the end of that 5 year period, a pretty good situation will have emerged. Bhubaneswar will have a very good and high quality station in the centre of the city, and two smaller but equally good station on the outskirts at Barang and Khurda Road, with overall about 22 platforms in all.
November 2nd, 2012 at 5:07 pm
i think KHURDA ROAD(JATNI) STATION should be considerd for the INTERNATIONAL STATION.bcoz,it’s the odisha’s no1 junction,hence it need not require more connection llines and another thing is that a old township area is near by this statio i.e JATNI,WHICH IS GOING TO BE A MOST UPGRADABLE AREA OF FUTURE CAPITAL CITY (according to the govt.s intrest.).HENCE,WE ALL SUGGEST THE KHURDAROAD STATION TO BE THE INTERNATIONAL…