Trial Run Of 2nd Vande Bharat For Odisha Begins; Puri-Rourkela Train Likely To Start From This Date

Puri: With the trial run being conducted on Monday, Odisha is all set to get its second Vande Bharat Express train between Puri and Rourkela by last week of September.

According to Indian Railways’ schedule, the semi-high-speed train departed from Puri railway station at 9.30 am and is expected to reach Talcher at 12.30 pm. It will have stoppages at Puri, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Angul and Talcher Road during its trial run, a loco pilot told the media.

The train is expected to move at an average speed of 63.33 km-65.16 kmph.

On August 14, while flagging off the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express with Tejas coaches, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said that the second Vande Bharat train service between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar will begin soon. Some media reports stated that the semi-high speed is likely to be flagged off by Prime Minister Modi on September 30.

The decision to introduce the train was taken after the entire stretch was upgraded for a maximum permissible speed of 130 mph. The eight-coach train arrived in Puri on September 1 from Chennai.

The first Vande Bharat Express between Puri and Howrah was flagged off on May 18. PM Modi had then promised another semi high-speed train for Odisha. The Puri-Rourkela Vande Bharat Express will cater to the rush between the coastal and western Odisha regions, sources said.

ROUTE

The train is likely to run six days a week, except on Saturdays, and have stoppages at Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Kerejanga, Sambalpur city and Jharsuguda.

Vaishnaw had earlier said that Puri-Rourkela Vande Bharat Express will pass through Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Angul, Talcher and other places.

Sources also said the semi-high speed train will cover the distance of 505 km in 7 hrs and 30 minutes from Puri-Rourkela and 7 hours and 45 minutes on the down line i.e. Rourkela to Puri.

TIMING

The train is likely to depart from Puri at 5 am and reach Rourkela around 12.45 pm. In the return direction, it will leave Rourkela at 2.10 pm and reach Puri at 9.40 p.m. Except for Bhubaneswar, where the train will halt for five minutes, the stoppage is for two minutes at other stations.