Odisha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Odisha’s first Vande Bharat Express on Wednesday. This train will cover the distance of 500 km between Puri-Howrah and Lord Jagannath’s Dham Puri in about six and a half hours. It has been told that the regular operation of this train will start on May 20.
PM Modi said that the Vande Bharat Express will further strengthen the religious, cultural, and spiritual connectivity between Howrah and Puri, boosting both connectivity and the country’s economy. He said that our ‘Vande Bharat trains’ now touch every corner of the country from north to south and from east to west.
He added that India is making efforts to ensure that no state lags behind in the race for development due to a lack of resources. Our government is committed to overall development. Rs. 8,000 crore has been allocated for disaster management in Odisha.
#WATCH | PM Modi flags off Odisha's first Vande Bharat train between Puri and Howrah pic.twitter.com/jDGO8DUFLW
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2023
The train has two types of AC chair cars and another executive chair car coach. An AC chair car ticket on the Puri-Howrah route costs 1430, including 328 as food (mile) charges, while an executive chair car ticket costs 2615, including 389 as catering (mile) charges. There is also no food option when booking tickets.
Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express will start regular service on May 20. Its departure time from Puri is 1:50 PM and will reach Howrah at 8:30 PM, whereas its departure time from Howrah is 6:10 AM and will reach Puri at 12.35 PM. According to the IRCTC, the train will run six days a week, i.e., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The 16-coach Vande Bharat train will halt between Puri and Howrah at seven stations (Khudra Road Junction, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur K Road, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kharagpur Junction, and Howrah). According to travel agents, this train will be very beneficial for tourists in and around Puri, West Bengal. There will also be facilities for those who go on pilgrimages and visit the beaches.
