President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated three new trains, providing a significant boost to regional connectivity. The Shalimar-Badampahar Weekly Express, the Badampahar-Rourkela Weekly Express, and the Tatanagar-Badampahar MEMU train are among the new trains. President Murmu was joined by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and other railway officials 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 three newly introduced trains, namely the Tatanagar-Badampahar MEMU train, the Badampahar-Rourkela Weekly Express, and the Shalimar-Badampahar Weekly Express aim to enhance connectivity for the local population. The Shalimar-Badampahar Weekly Express, in particular, provides the first-ever overnight express train service between Shalimar/Kolkata (West Bengal) and Badampahar (Odisha).
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.