East Coast Railway has begun converting discarded metal parts from its workshops and yards into public artwork, with scrap-based sculptures planned for railway stations, offices and other premises across Odisha, including Puri, Bhubaneswar and Khurda Road.
The initiative uses old metal components, worn-out parts and other unusable workshop material to create installations intended to improve railway spaces while encouraging the reuse of materials. ECoR officials said the project combines waste reduction with the beautification of premises used daily by passengers and railway staff.
“Many small pieces of scrap remain idle after e-auction. These pieces are being used to create beautiful artworks,” an ECoR spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that major stations and other railway premises would receive scrap-based sculptures as more installations are completed.
One sculpture has already been completed at Sambalpur station and opened for public viewing. Other works are being prepared at the carriage repair workshop at Mancheswar in Bhubaneswar, where railway personnel and artists associated with railway units are shaping discarded material into decorative installations.
The Mancheswar workshop has completed a large guitar and a small replica of an Air Force chopper using discarded metal parts. Both have been installed inside the workshop area. The installations have drawn attention for converting material that would otherwise have been treated as waste into visual features within an operational railway facility.
The routine overhauling yard at Sarla station has also installed a sculpture made from scrap. At Kantabanji station, railway personnel have created a miniature model of an old railway engine from discarded metal. ECoR is separately preparing another scrap-metal sculpture for display at its headquarters in Bhubaneswar.
The locations give the initiative two distinct functions: improving the appearance of railway premises and displaying the skills of railway workers who handle metal components as part of routine maintenance and repair operations. The project also places material reuse within railway establishments, rather than limiting scrap management to disposal or auction.
According to ECoR officials, the artwork is intended to reflect the railway zone’s focus on sustainability, innovation and the improvement of public infrastructure. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to encourage environmentally responsible practices within railway establishments, although the source does not specify the quantity of scrap being diverted or the cost of producing the sculptures.
More stations and offices may be covered in the coming months, depending on the availability of scrap and suitable locations for displaying the installations. ECoR officials said the sculptures are expected to beautify railway premises and create awareness among passengers about reuse and recycling.
