Infrastructure
Promoting Cultural Tourism: Railway Minister Vaishnaw Announces 32-Km Rail Line To Connect Puri And Konark
Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha. (Wikimedia Commons)
The Union government has given its nod to a new 32 kilometre railway line between Puri and Konark connecting the Jagannath temple and the Sun temple, respectively, announced Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The Sun Temple in Konark, dating back to the 13th century, is a monumental representation of the sun god Surya's chariot and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the other hand, the Jagannath Temple in Puri is a revered Hindu shrine dedicated to Jagannath, or Lord Vishnu, and ranks among the sacred Char Dham pilgrimage sites in India.
Vaishnaw, who was elected unopposed from Odisha to the Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday (20 February), said that the rail line has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 492 crore.
This new railway project aligns with the Centre's emphasis on promoting spiritual, heritage, and coastal tourism. Notably, it will incorporate Vistadome coaches to enhance the travel experience for tourists and pilgrims alike.
"We plan to run a Vistadome train, an all-weather glass-ceiling AC train. People can enjoy the view from inside the coaches,” the minister said.
Vistadome coaches with their transparent ceiling, wide window panes and 180-degree rotatable recliner seats, offer greater outside view for passengers.
“There is also a plan to make passengers experience the rich Jagannath culture during travel. We will use Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and the concept will be finalised in consultation with sevayats (traditional priests) of Shree Jagannath Temple and administrators associated with the temple,” Vaishnaw said.
Vaishnaw said the work will begin as soon as the required 215 hectares of land is acquired by the state government.
“We are soliciting cooperation from the State government about acquisition of land. We also plan to come up with four to five special tourist heritage hubs in the railway stretch. We will also seek Odisha government’s cooperation for allotting land for the purpose,” he said.
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