By Imteshal Karim
Copyright odishatv
Indiarsquos first bullet train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is steadily advancing with key milestones being achieved every other week. This has raised curiosity about whether Odisha could one day join the countryrsquos high-speed rail network.
Though the state has not been included in any sanctioned corridor so far its infrastructure strengths and growing demand make the debate increasingly relevant.
Odisharsquos Railway Network At A Glance
Odisha currently has about 2935 route-kilometres of railways fully electrified on broad gauge. Recent years have seen higher allocations with more than Rs 10500 crore sanctioned for the state in 2024-25.
Several projects are under construction including the Khurda RoadndashBalangir and TalcherndashBimlagarh lines along with doubling and multi-tracking works on busy stretches.
Despite progress however the statersquos rail density remains below the national average. Large parts of the interior and tribal regions are still underserved and sanctioned projects have faced long delays due to land acquisition and funding issues.
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What A Bullet Train Would Mean
If Odisha were included in a high-speed corridor the impact would be transformative. Travel time between Bhubaneswar and New Delhi could drop from nearly 30 hours to under six. The BhubaneswarndashVisakhapatnam stretch could be cut to under five hours while Kolkata might be reachable in less than three.
Within the state the BhubaneswarndashCuttack journey could take just 15 minutes and the BhubaneswarndashPuri journey around 20 minutes. Such connectivity could reshape commuting patterns boost tourism in Puri and Konark and strengthen industrial centres like Paradip Angul and Rourkela.
Challenges On The Ground
Building a bullet train corridor in Odisha would require entirely new tracks designed with straight alignments and minimal curves. The coastal belt offers relatively suitable terrain but western Odisha and the Eastern Ghats would demand tunnels and elevated structures raising costs sharply.
Land acquisition for wide corridors stations and depots could also pose difficulties. Ongoing delays in conventional projects such as the TalcherndashBimlagarh and Khurda RoadndashBalangir lines highlight how procedural hurdles remain a persistent barrier.
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The Road Ahead
The MumbaindashAhmedabad project developed with Japanese collaboration is expected to begin partial operations in 2026 before a full rollout by 2029. Its progress is being seen as a test case for future bullet train corridors in India.
For Odisha inclusion will depend on demand assessments technical feasibility and strong policy backing from the Centre.
For now the idea remains aspirational. But with full electrification in place rising investment and growing industrial and tourism demand Odisha has a credible case to be considered in the next phase of Indiarsquos high-speed rail expansion.
