Indian Railways has approved construction of a 4.59-kilometre rail flyover between Bondamunda ‘A’ Cabin and Bondamunda Link ‘B’ Cabin in South Eastern Railway, Odisha, at an estimated cost of Rs 135 crore. The project aims to decongest the strategically important Rourkela–Bondamunda section, a key industrial corridor witnessing rapidly rising freight traffic from expanding mining and steel activities.
The flyover will separate freight and passenger train operations, reducing crossing conflicts and enhancing overall network capacity. Once commissioned, the project is expected to enable an additional 8 million tonnes per annum of freight traffic, supporting the movement of minerals, steel and other industrial commodities.
The Rourkela–Bondamunda section is set to witness substantial freight growth with expansion of SAIL’s Barsua–Taldih–Kalta mining complex, increased production at Rourkela Steel Plant and the planned doubling of this High-Density Network route. The dedicated flyover will facilitate smoother operations while minimising delays caused by intersecting passenger and freight movements.
The project has been identified under Indian Railways’ Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor initiative, focused on expanding rail infrastructure to support industrial development and improve bulk commodity logistics. The Ministry said the approval reflects Indian Railways’ continued commitment to augmenting network capacity to meet India’s growing transportation needs.
