The Vande Bharat Express, an Indian-designed semi-high-speed train, was inaugurated off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday from Puri to Howrah. He also laid the cornerstone for and dedicated other railway projects worth more than Rs 8,000 crore in Odisha.
This brought the first Vande Bharat Express train to Odisha.
It would stop at six stations between Howrah and Puri: Kharagpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Khurda Road.
It will stop for four minutes at the Bhubaneswar station and two minutes at the remaining stations.
Modi referred to the Vande Bharat train as a representation of a contemporary, aspirational India while addressing the crowd through videoconference from various locations.
According to him, the distance between Puri and Howrah would now only be six and a half hours, saving time, creating economic prospects, and offering the youth new chances.
He declared, “Fifteen Vande Bharat trains are already operating in various states of the nation, bolstering the national economy.”
Indian Railway connects and knits everyone together in a thread, and the Vande Bharat Express will carry forward with the same idea and thought, Modi said, stressing the need to reinforce the unity and integrity of the nation.
The spiritual and cultural ties between Puri and Howrah, according to him, will be strengthened by the train.
According to Modi, the new India is developing technology on its own and disseminating it throughout the entire nation. He claimed that Vande Bharat is spreading throughout the entire nation.
Other Initiatives
The prime minister also laid the cornerstone for the renovation of the railway stations in Puri and Cuttack.
He dedicated building a new broad gauge rail route between Angul and Sukinda, tripling the Sambalpur-Titlagarh rail line, a third line connecting Manoharpur-Rourkela-Jharsuguda-Jamga, and a new line between Bichhupali and Jhartarbha.
“Odisha is one of those states in the country where 100 percent electrification of rail lines has been achieved,” said Modi, adding that work is underway at a fast pace to achieve the same feat in West Bengal. He said the mineral-rich state of Odisha will greatly benefit from the electrification of rail lines where pollution emanating from diesel engines will be significantly reduced and help in the industrial development of the state.
Those attending included the governor of Odisha, Ganeshi Lal, the chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, the union minister for rail, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and the union minister for education, Dharmendra Pradhan.
Normal operations for the Vande Bharat Express begin on May 20
The Howrah-Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express’ regular run will start on May 20, according to officials.
The train will leave Howrah at 6.10 am and arrive in Puri at 12.35 pm, operating six days a week with the exception of Thursdays. According to them, it will depart Puri at 1.50 pm and arrive in Howrah at 8.30 pm in the other route.
Kharagpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Khurda Road are among the 16-coach train’s stops.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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