Bhubaneswar, April 5 : Amid growing protests over the merger of the Palasa-Ichchapuram section with the newly created South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone, the Indian Railways on Sunday issued a clarification stating that the move will not affect the revenue earnings of East Coast Railway (ECoR) or disrupt train services on the route.

In an official statement, the South Coast Railway said the Palasaâ??Ichchapuram section, stretching around 50 km, comprises seven stations -- Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi and Ichchapuram. It added that all these stations are located in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and none falls within Odisha.

â??These stations are small- to mid-sized and primarily handle passenger traffic. None of them is a major freight loading point. Therefore, ECoRâ??s revenue remains unaffected,â?? the statement said.

Dismissing concerns over possible disruption to train services, SCoR clarified that pass-through freight traffic -- trains transiting through these stations en route -- will continue uninterrupted, regardless of zonal jurisdiction. It also noted that railway operations remain seamless across zonal boundaries.

SCoR emphasised that all existing trains, including Palasaâ??Bhubaneswar, Palasaâ??Cuttack, and Ichchapuramâ??Cuttack MEMU/passenger services, will continue to operate without any change in schedule, route or frequency. The Railways added that the merger is a technical adjustment aimed at ensuring smoother functioning of passenger services in the Visakhapatnam division.

The modalities of the transfer, including staff deployment, are being finalised between ECoR and SCoR. The interests and service conditions of all railway employees will be fully protected as per established norms.

â??The governmentâ??s commitment to Odisha is unwavering. Record capital expenditure on railway network expansion in Odisha, station modernisation, Vande Bharat services, and the newly created Rayagada Division under ECoR are evidence of this commitment,â?? the statement said.

It is pertinent to note that opposition parties, including the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Congress and CPI(M), have expressed strong objections to the merger, calling the move unfortunate and a betrayal of Odisha by the BJP-led double-engine government. Leaders of these parties, at a joint meeting held here, alleged that the transfer would reduce the size of the East Coast Railway zone and lead to a decline in its revenue.

/IANS