Amid protests regarding the merger of the Palasa-Ichchapuram section with the newly formed South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone, Indian Railways assured that this change will not impact the revenue of East Coast Railway (ECoR) or disrupt train services. The Palasa–Ichchapuram section, spanning about 50 km with seven stations in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, mainly caters to passenger traffic and not major freight operations, ensuring ECoR’s revenue remains unaffected.
SCoR clarified that the merger will not affect pass-through freight traffic or the seamless operation of trains passing through these stations, emphasizing that all current services like Palasa–Bhubaneswar and Ichchapuram–Cuttack will continue without alterations in schedule, route, or frequency. The move is described as a technical adjustment to enhance passenger services in the Visakhapatnam division, with ongoing discussions between ECoR and SCoR regarding staff deployment and employee welfare.
The statement highlighted the government’s commitment to Odisha through significant investments in railway network expansion, station modernization, Vande Bharat services, and the establishment of the Rayagada Division under ECoR. Despite opposition from parties like Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Congress, and CPI(M), who criticize the merger as detrimental to ECoR’s size and revenue, the Railways assured that employee interests and service conditions will be safeguarded in line with existing norms.
