India's 17th and Odisha's first Vande Bharat Express flagged off; Know what PM Modi said-

Puri, May 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express, the first for Odisha and the trainset’s 17th edition. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was also present during the ocassion. He also laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation, several railway projects worth more than Rs 8,000 crores in Odisha via video conferencing.

 

 

 

“The Vande Bharat Express will further strengthen religious, cultural and spiritual connect between Howrah and Puri. Today, there have been running 15 Vande Bharat Trains in the country; these are boosting both connectivity as well as economy of the nation,” Modi said after flagging off the train via video-conferencing.

 

The train will cover the 500 km distance between Howrah and Puri in around six and a half hours, news agency PTI reported. It will run six days a week, except Thursdays.

 

 

The Vande Bharat between Howrah and Puri, like the ones on other routes, is a daytime train. Starting a little after 6 am, it will reach Puri around 12.30. In the return journey, the train will leave Puri around 1 pm. “Pilgrims to the Jagannath temple can comfortably reach by noon, check into their hotel well in time,” said a senior railway official.

 

The train will have stops at Kharagpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Khurda Road.

 

Besides, the projects also include the laying the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Puri and Cuttack railway stations, dedication of 100% electrification of the rail network in Odisha, doubling of the Sambalpur-Titlagarh rail line, a new broad gauge rail line between Angul - Sukinda; the third line connecting Manoharpur - Rourkela - Jharsuguda - Jamga and a new broad-gauge line between Bichhupali - Jhartarbha.

 

The 100% electrification of the rail network in Odisha will reduce the operating and maintenance cost and reduce reliance on imported crude oil.