Berhampur: The Waltair division of East Coast Railway celebrated the 125th anniversary of Paralakhemundi Light Railway (PLR) on Tuesday. The 40-km long Naupada-Paralakhemundi narrow gauge line was inaugurated as on Apr 1, 1900, by Goura Chandra Gajapati Narayan Dev, the erstwhile king of Paralakhemundi.
To commemorate the occasion, the railways organised a series of events, including publicity campaigns and station illumination. A special event was held for local schoolchildren, featuring various competitions to honour the legacy and development ofe PLR. The celebrations saw the participation of senior railway officials, eminent personalities, and students of Paralakhemundi.
The railway line was extended to Gunupur in 1931. In 1934, the management was transferred to erstwhile Bengal Nagpur Railway. Presently, the line includes 10 stations between Naupada and Gunupur.
As part of ongoing development efforts, ECoR has initiated plans to modernise Paralakhemundi railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station scheme at an estimated budget of Rs 16.40 crore.