A complete trial run of the Puri-Rourkela Vande Bharat Express is underway thus giving Odisha its second Vande Bharat Express. Know more about this new train in the state..
New Delhi: Vande Bharat Express is one of the most popular and preferred trains in India and cover many routes across the country. Odisha is getting one more Vande Bharat Express as the full trial run for the second train is underway today. The state’s first Vande Bharat Express operates between Puri and Howrah and was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May, 2023. Now, the second Vande Bharat Express in Odisha will run between Puri and Rourkela; the full trial run of the Puri-Rourkela Vande Bharat Express, which would be Odisha’s second such train, was conducted on Wednesday, officials said.
Puri-Rourkela Vande Bharat Express Full Trial Run Underway
The train left the Puri station at 5 am to reach Bhubaneswar at 6.05 am, and left after five minutes for the onward journey. After brief halts at Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, it reached Sambalpur at 10.15 am. The train was supposed to reach its destination, Rourkela, at 12.45 pm, they said. Earlier, a trail run was held between Puri and Talcher Road stations, they added. On its return journey, the train will leave Rourkela at 2.10 pm and reach Puri at 9.40 pm, covering the distance in 7.5 hours, officials said.
The train will have a total of ten stoppages, namely, Puri, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Kerejanga, Sambalpur city, Jharsuguda and Rourkela. The stoppage duration at every station for this Vande Bharat Express is two minutes except Bhubaneswar, where it will stop for five minutes. The train is expected to run six days a week except Saturdays and its first trial run was conducted on September 12, between Puri and Talcher. This train might officially be flagged off by the end of September, 2023, by PM Modi.
This Is A Historic Moment For Rourkela: RCCI President
“This is a historic moment for Rourkela. First, we got a flight, and now, the Vande Bharat Express. Rourkela’s connectivity is getting enhanced and this is good for all,” said Sunil Kayal, the president of the Rourkela Chamber of Commerce and Industries (RCCI). The train will connect the coastal districts of the state to its western region.
New Vande Bharat Trains In India
Considered as India’s fastest train, Vande Bharat Express is currently running on a total of 25 routes across the country. However, the Indian Railways is now planning to introduce 9 more such trains on different routes soon, as per a report by Zee News. Check below, the list of new trains being introduced-
- Route 1: Indore – Jaipur Vande Bharat Express
- Route 2: Jaipur-Udaipur Vande Bharat Express
- Route 3: Puri – Rourkela Vande Bharat Express
- Route 4: Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat Express
- Route 5: Jaipur-Chandigarh Vande Bharat Express
As per the updates from the Indian Railways, these five routes for the Vande Bharat Express have already been assigned, and three routes have been assigned to the Southern Railways. However, the names are yet to be finalised. Now, it is not yet clear as to where the last Vande Bharat Express will be deployed.
(Inputs from PTI)
