Bhubaneswar: For the convenience of the people of western Odisha, the Railway authorities have decided to extend the Gorakhpur-Hatia Maurya Express train up to Sambalpur.
The train originating and terminating at Hatia will have stoppages at Rourkela, Jharsuguda and Sambalpur railway stations in Odisha
As per the tentative train schedule, 15028 Gorakhpur-Hatia Maurya Express will arrive at 1.50 pm at Sambalpur Railway Station. The train number 15027 Hatia-Gorakhpur Maurya Express will depart the Sambalpur Railway Station at 9.35 am.
The extension of Gorakhpur-Hatia Express train will benefit the passengers of Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh districts, said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Dharmendra had earlier requested Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to take steps for the extension of the train services to Odisha. He had written two letters to his cabinet colleague on December 9, 2022, and on January 3, 2024 seeking extension of Hatia-Gorakhpur Maurya Express up to Sambalpur and introduction of a new train from Sambalpur to Gorakhpur via Jharsuguda, Rourkela and Tata.
Dharmendra stated that around four lakh people from Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh live in western Odisha and over 1.5 lakh of them stay only in Sambalpur district. In the absence of a direct train for them to go to their native place, they have to face a lot of difficulties.
Following his requests, the Ministry of Railways decided to extend Hatia-Gorakhpur Express train up to Sambalpur.
