E-Paper
Odisha's first Vande Bharat likely to be flagged off on May 15. Check timings, fare
The train will connect Puri with West Bengal's Howrah. West Bengal already has a Vande Bharat, between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri.
The Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express is likely to be flagged off on May 15, according to a report. When operational, it will be the first Vande Bharat service for Odisha and the second for West Bengal.
On April 28, the Indian Railways conducted a trial run of the train.
Here is all you need to know about the Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express:
(1.) Between the two cities, it will cover 500 kms in around 5 hours 30 minutes. At present, the Shatabdi Express is the fastest train on this route, taking around 7 hours 35 minutes to cover the same distance.
(2.) As per the report, the Puri-Howrah train will make stoppages at these stations: Khurda Road Junction, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Haldia.
(3.) From Howrah, it is expected to depart at 5:50 am and reach Puri at 11:50 am. Its return journey will begin at 2 pm and conclude at 7:30 pm.
(4.) The fare is likely to be ₹1,590 (including ₹308 for catering) for Chair Car and ₹2,815 (including ₹369 for catering) for Executive Class. If, however, a passenger opts for ‘no food,’ catering will not be included in the fare.
(5.) West Bengal's first Vande Bharat, the country's seventh, was flagged off in December last year, and connects Howrah and New Jalpaiguri. In Feb 2019, the first Vande Bharat began its run, and currently, 15 such high-speed services are in operation; in 2023 alone, 8 trains have already been introduced.
