Indian Railways will temporarily alter services on the Kottavalasa–Kirandul line to permit safety-related modernisation work, the Waltair division confirmed on Friday. The changes will see several passenger trains short-terminated or short-originated at Koraput while engineers place segment boxes for Limited Height Subway (LHS) works using the cut-and-cover method.
Planned modernisation on the Kottavalasa–Kirandul line
K. Saandeep, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Waltair, said the traffic-cum-power block is scheduled to facilitate the LHS works over the Kottavalasa–Kirandul section. The works are intended to improve safety and clearance at a location where a limited-height subway is required, and the chosen cut-and-cover technique will involve placing precast segment boxes in the excavated trench before reinstating the road formation above.
The following trains will be affected by the temporary arrangements. On 6 January 2026, 58501 Visakhapatnam–Kirandul Passenger will depart Visakhapatnam and in the return direction 58502 Kirandul–Visakhapatnam Passenger will start from Koraput instead of Kirandul. Train number 18447 Bhubaneswar–Jagdalpur Express that leaves Bhubaneswar on 5 January will be short-terminated at Koraput; its return service, 18448 Jagdalpur–Bhubaneswar Express, will commence from Koraput on 6 January rather than Jagdalpur. Similarly, 18107 Rourkela–Jagdalpur Express departing Rourkela on 5 January will be short-terminated at Koraput, and 18108 Jagdalpur–Rourkela Express will originate from Koraput on 6 January.
Passengers booked on the affected services are advised to take note of the temporary origin and termination points. Where trains start from Koraput instead of their scheduled originating stations, passengers should check updated boarding locations and timings with Indian Railways or through official enquiry channels before travelling. Ticketing and reservation rules will be governed by the division’s temporary operational orders, and refunds or reservations into alternative services may be available subject to standard policy.
The Kottavalasa–Kirandul line serves both passenger traffic and significant freight movements, including mineral consignments from the mineral-rich areas of Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. Temporary operational changes are a common measure when essential civil works are carried out to improve safety or line capability, and authorities usually schedule such blocks to minimise disruption while ensuring adequate time for complex engineering tasks.
Waltair division officials said the cut-and-cover method was selected because it allows safe placement of the segment boxes and secure restoration of the embankment and surface above. Engineers will first excavate the section, place the precast concrete segments to form the subway structure, test and secure the installation, and then backfill and reinstate the road and rail corridor. The works will be undertaken under strict safety protocols and supervised by divisional engineering teams.
Local passengers and commuters who regularly use the Koraput, Jagdalpur, Visakhapatnam or Rourkela sectors should monitor announcements from the Waltair division and Indian Railways. Travel advisory messages and platform notices will be updated at affected stations. For real-time information, travellers should consult official railway enquiry numbers, the Indian Railways website, or authorised mobile applications.
Indian Railways has advised passengers to allow extra time for their journeys on the affected dates and to verify reservations if their origin or destination has been changed by the temporary block. While such engineering blocks can cause short-term inconvenience, they are intended to deliver longer-term improvements to safety and network reliability on the Kottavalasa–Kirandul line.
Key Takeaways:
- Indian Railways will short-terminate and short-origin several services at Koraput to allow safety-related modernisation on the Kottavalasa–Kirandul line.
- Works include placement of segment boxes using a cut-and-cover method for a Limited Height Subway; operations affected on 5–6 January 2026.
- Specific passenger trains affected are 58501/58502, 18447/18448 and 18107/18108; passengers are advised to check schedules and boarding points.
