'Not An Airport': What Made Ex-Norwegian Minister Praise Cuttack Railway Station

Former climate and environment minister of Norway, Erik Solheim, on Thursday praised the work of the Indian Railway as he shared a video of the Cuttack Railway Station, which recently underwent a major transformation.

“Indian Rail are improving by the day! This is not an airport; this is a railway station opened in Cuttack, Odisha,” Solheim wrote in a post on X, sharing the video that showed the newly upgraded Cuttack railway station and its state-of-the-art facilities.

Watch the video here:

The east side (national highway side) station building at Cuttack railway station, constructed at a cost of Rs 14.63 crore, was inaugurated in early December by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

According to a report by news agency PTI quoting railway officials, this upgrade is aimed at enhancing passenger convenience and safety by offering easy and seamless access for commuters.

This will also help streamline station operations and provide smoother passenger movement, meeting the demand for improved connectivity in the area.

Solheim’s post soon went viral on social media, receiving a flood of replies on X. People were quick to express their views on the post, with many lauding the development while others highlighting issues.

“Yup India is improving each year exponentially and glad to see you shared our home city Cuttack’s new railway infrastructure,” said a user.

“Looking great. Hope more railway stations are developed like this,” another chimed in.

A few users flagged other areas that may require focus.

“More focus should be on running the trains safely. Install Kavach in all stations, train employees, Scrutinise ticket checking and avoid ticketless travellers. Otherwise, railways will lose revenue and those who paid won't get what they paid for — be it any class including coupe,” one of them said.

The new building, a part of the ongoing Amrit Stations scheme of the Indian government, is equipped with 21,270 square feet of air-conditioned space, a food court spanning 2,100 square feet, and modern toilets that have accessibility for differently-abled.