Bhubaneswar: Union Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has requested the Railway Ministry to convert Puri-Hatia- Puri Tapaswini Express to Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) design coaches at the earliest.
Seeking the personal intervention of the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a letter, he said that during his recent visit to Odisha, he had travelled from Bhubaneswar to Redhakhole on Tapaswini Express and interacted with the co-passengers who mentioned their long-pending demand for LHB rakes on the train.
Stating that the Bhubaneswar-Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express was flagged off recently with new modern LHB rakes, Dharmendra said that the LHB rakes have more safety features with modular interior and fittings, more seating capacity with lesser noise and other features like high-capacity cooling and an improved suspension system for a hassle-free journey.
“Introduction of LHB coaches in Tapaswini Express shall go a long way in providing smooth travel and safer journey experience to railway passengers ensuring highest levels of comfort and on-board passenger amenities,” Dharmendra said.
It may be mentioned that the Tapaswini Express, named after the famous Odia book Tapaswini written by the legendary 19th Century Odia poet Swabhaba Kabi Gangadhar Meher and has been running since 1996, passes through Odisha and Jharkhand connecting Puri, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Talcher, Angul, Redhkhole, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Rajgangpur, Rourkela, Nuagaon and Hatia.
