The Kharagpur-Puri line traverses the northern part of the Eastern Coastal Plains crossing such rivers as Subarnarekha, Baitarani, Brahmani and Mahanadi. The coastal plains lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal are fertile agricultural lands with high density of population. The line enters the large delta of the long Mahanadi, with a series of channels, near Cuttack.