ECoR says SCoR station transfer will not affect services

ECoR clarification on SCoR stations followed questions over the transfer of certain stations to SCoR. East Coast Railway said the move does not affect Odisha stations or revenue. It also said existing train services will continue.

ECoR clarification on SCoR stations

As reported by The Times of India, the Palasa–Ichchapuram section is around 50 km long. It includes seven stations: Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi and Ichchapuram. All seven are in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, and none is within Odisha.

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According to ThePrint, these are small- to mid-sized stations that mainly handle passenger traffic. None is a major freight loading point. The railway zone said its revenue remains unaffected.

Train services and freight operations

The railway zone said pass-through freight traffic will continue without interruption. It also said railway operations remain seamless across zonal boundaries.

In addition, RailPost reported that there will be no disruption to existing train services. This includes Palasa–Bhubaneswar, Palasa–Cuttack, and Ichchapuram–Cuttack MEMU/passenger trains. Their schedules, routes and frequency will stay the same.

Transfer modalities and Odisha commitment

The zone described the shift as a technical revision. It said the aim is to keep passenger services in the Visakhapatnam division running smoothly. In practice, ECoR said the transfer will not change routes, schedules or frequency. Freight movement through the affected stations will also continue. It also said the transfer modalities are being finalised between ECoR and SCoR. That includes staff deployment.

At the same time, ECoR said the interests of all railway employees will be protected. Their service conditions will also be protected under established norms. It added that the government’s commitment to Odisha unwavering. It cited:

• record capital expenditure on railway network expansion in Odisha;
• station modernisation;
• Vande Bharat services; and
• the newly created Rayagada Division under ECoR.

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