Historic! President Draupadi Murmu’s Hometown Receives First Express Train in 112 Years

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated three new trains, marking a significant boost in connectivity for the region. The newly introduced trains include the Shalimar-Badampahar Weekly Express, the Badampahar-Rourkela Weekly Express, and the Tatanagar-Badampahar MEMU train. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and other railway officials joined President Murmu at the ceremony, where she also laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Badampahar Railway Station.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the importance of the event, stating, “President Droupadi Murmu has flagged off three trains from Badampahar, and the foundation stone was laid for Badampahar Railway Station as an Amrit Station under the Amrit Bharat Railway Station Scheme. There was also the inauguration of the Rairangpur postal division.”

The train’s route traverses mineral-rich areas of Odisha and industrial zones of Jharkhand, facilitating faster connectivity with West Bengal. This development benefits students, job aspirants, and patients from the Badampahar and Rairangpur areas, providing easy access to educational institutions, corporate hubs, and medical facilities in Kolkata, Howrah, and Tatanagar.

President Murmu also laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Badampahar Railway Station, earmarked under the Amrit Station Scheme with an investment of 12.22 crores. The redevelopment includes the construction of a contemporary-style station building, green patches in circulating areas, a canopy, parking facilities, road network redevelopment, platform extension, divyang-friendly facilities, signage, and the replacement of quarters. A three-meter-wide overbridge will also be introduced for passenger convenience, ultimately enhancing rail transport infrastructure and boosting tourism in the state of Odisha.