Prime Minister Modi flags off Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express, highlights Odisha’s 100% railway electrification, dedicates railway projects worth Rs. 8000 crores.
Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express via video conference on May 18, 2023.
The event was graced by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, and other dignitaries present at Puri Station.
Vande Bharat Express will operate six days a week, excluding Thursdays, with regular services commencing from May 20, 2023.
The train will depart from Howrah at 06:10 hrs, arriving in Puri at 12:35 hrs, and will return from Puri at 13:50 hrs, reaching Howrah at 20:30 hrs on the same day.
The train will make stops at Kharagpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Khurda Road stations.
In addition to inaugurating the Express service, PM Modi also launched several other railway projects in Odisha worth more than Rs. 8000 crores.
These include the full electrification of Odisha’s rail network and laying the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Puri and Cuttack railway stations.
During his address, PM Modi praised the Vande Bharat Express as a symbol of modern and aspirational India, emphasizing that it is becoming the engine of the country’s development.
He also acknowledged the rapid strides made in technology, highlighting the indigenous origins of Vande Bharat Trains and the development of 5G technology and vaccines during the pandemic.
The Prime Minister applauded Odisha’s achievement of achieving 100% electrification of rail lines.
He emphasized that infrastructure development not only simplifies lives but also empowers society.
The PM also shed light on the balanced development of states, being a prerequisite for India’s swift progress.
