Odisha's First Vande Bharat Express Likely To Be Launched Between Puri And Howrah On 18 May

Ahead of the expected launch of the Odisha's first Vande Bharat Express connecting Puri to Howrah in West Bengal on Thursday (18 May), the beautification of the Puri railway station is going on in full swing.

The Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express is likely to be virtually flagged off from Puri on Thursday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will attend the event.

The first full trial run of the train was conducted on 28 April with the train leaving Howrah at 6:10 am and arriving in Puri at 12:35 pm.

It departed Puri at 1:50 pm and reached Howrah at 8:30 pm on the return trip. During the trial run, the train was only permitted to go at a top speed of 130 km per hour

The Vande Bharat Express demonstrated its efficiency and speed during the trial run by covering 500 kilometres in just 6 hours and 25 minutes.

The Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat train is expected to stop at a limited number of stations, including Kharagpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Khurda, making it simpler for pilgrims and visitors heading to Puri, where Lord Jagannath's temple is located, from bordering states.

Given the influx of pilgrims and tourists to Puri sea beach, Jagannath Temple, the World Heritage Site at Konark, and Chilika Lagoon, the operation of Vande Bharat service will serve the purpose.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the launch of the Vande Bharat Express in Odisha in 2021.