After the railways conducted the trial run of Vande Bharat Express between Howrah and Puri last month, the indigenously designed semi-high-speed train is likely to be flagged off on May 15 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After becoming operational, it will be the first Vande Bharat service for Odisha and the second for West Bengal.
According to news agency PTI, the train will cover a total distance of close to 500 kms in almost 6 hours. The train will begin its onward journey (Howrah-Puri) at around 6 am and reach its destination at noon.
During its return journey Vande Bharat Express is likely to start from Puri at 1.50 pm and reach Howrah at 8.30 pm.
The train is expected to stop at Kharagpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Khurda with a two-minute halt at each station, according to the news agency.
The tentative fare to travel from Howrah to Puri will cost Rs 1,590 for the Chair Car, including Rs 308 for catering charges. For the Executive Class, the charges will be close to Rs 2815, including Rs 369 as catering charges. You can also chose the ‘No Food Option’ and only pay for the fare.
This would be the second Vande Bharat express train that West Bengal will get, with the first running on the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri route since December 30, 2022.
With pilgrims and tourists flocking to Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath, throughout the year from the West Bengal capital, the new semi-high speed train is likely to be an instant hit among the visitors, said some travel operators, according to PTI.
First Vande Bharat Express was launched in 2019 from the national capital Delhi to Varanasi. Now, 15 such high-speed services are in operation. In 2023 alone, 8 trains have already been introduced on different routes across the country.
Vande Bharat Express has state-of-the-art facility and is currently faster than any other train in the country.