Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated Vande Bharat trains on six new routes, including two passing through Odisha, at around 10.40 am on Sunday.
The six new routes that these trains will cover are Tatanagar-Patna, Brahmapur-Tatanagar, Rourkela-Howrah, Deoghar-Varanasi, Bhagalpur-Howrah and Gaya-Howrah.
The PM was scheduled to flag off Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat train at Tatanagar Junction railway station in Jamshedpur and lay foundation stone and dedicate to the nation various railway projects worth more than Rs 660 crore in the poll-bound Jharkhand. However, he was not able to fly to Jamshedpur after landing at Ranchi this morning due to inclement weather and flagged off the trains virtually from Raj Bhavan at Ranchi.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the flagging-off ceremony of Brahmapur-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express at Berhampur railway station. The inaugural special train left the station at 11 am and is scheduled to reach Tatanagar at 8.10 pm.
“Centre is working for the development of railway infrastructure in Odisha. Rail corridor will be set up and Odisha will play a crucial role in the development of railway network,” said the CM, who then boarded the train for Bhubaneswar.
He also shared a video enjoying the train ride along with a few school students.
ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ରେଳ ଯୋଗାଯୋଗ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ଯୋଡ଼ି ହେଲା ଆଉ ଏକ ନୂଆ ଅଧ୍ୟାୟ। ଗଡ଼ିଲା ବ୍ରହ୍ମପୁର-ଟାଟାନଗର ଓ ରାଉରକେଲା-ହାୱଡ଼ା ବନ୍ଦେ ଭାରତ ଏକ୍ସପ୍ରେସ। ମାନ୍ୟବର ପ୍ରଧାନମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ଶ୍ରୀ @narendramodiଙ୍କ କରକମଳରେ ବନ୍ଦେ ଭାରତ ଟ୍ରେନର ଉଦଘାଟନ ଅବସରରେ ବ୍ରହ୍ମପୁରଠାରେ ମାନ୍ୟବର ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ଶ୍ରୀ @MohanMOdisha ଯୋଗଦେଇଛନ୍ତି।… pic.twitter.com/ulrX1n4Kqu
— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) September 15, 2024
Brahmapur-Tatanagar Vande Bharat will run between Berhampur in Odisha and Tatanagar Junction in Jharkhand and Berhampur via Bhubaneswar and Kendujhargarh. Operating six days a week except Tuesdays, it covers the distance in nine hours and ten minutes after leaving Tatanagar at 5.20 am and arrive in Berhampur at 2.30 pm with halts at Banspani, Nayagarh, Keonjhargarh, Harichandanpur, Jakhapura, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Khurda Road and Balugaon in Odisha. In the return journey, it will leave Berhampur at 3 pm and reach Tatanagar at 11.55 pm the same day.
Rourkela-Howrah Vande Bharat Express was decked in flowers for the maiden run at Rourkela Junction. The train departed from Rourkela railway station at 11 am and will reach Howrah at 6.15 pm. South Eastern Railway later shared a video of students enjoying a ride in the semi high-speed train from Rourkela.
Students enjoying the unique travel experience in Rourkela – Howrah Vande Bharat Express#ser #IndianRailways pic.twitter.com/7jhr0dALd8
— South Eastern Railway (@serailwaykol) September 15, 2024
Rourkela-Howrah Vande Bharat Express train will also run six days a week expect on Tuesdays and cover five stations. The train is scheduled to depart from Howrah at 6 am and reach Rourkela by 11.50 am. On its return journey, it will depart from Rourkela at 1.40 pm, arriving in Howrah by 7.40 pm. The train has only three key halts – Kharagpur, Chakradharpur, and Tatanagar.
With this, Vande Bharat fleet in Odisha has gone up to five. The PM had flagged off Odisha’s first Vande Bharat Express train between Puri and Howrah in May 2023. The second semi-high-speed train service was inaugurated on Puri–Rourkela route in September 2023 and the third, connecting Visakhapatnam with Bhubaneswar, in March this year.
Also Read: 3 New Vande Bharat, PM’s Gift For Odisha Ahead Of His Birthday: Dharmendra Pradhan
Modi will inaugurate additional Vande Bharat trains across the country, including Visakhapatnam-Raipur-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express which will run through Odisha, on Monday.