Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Monday jointly flagged off a new express train service between Puri and Koraput.
The train was flagged off from Puri in the presence of state Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, MPs, MLAs and senior railway officials.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Majhi described the launch of the train service as a historic moment for the state.
“Today is a historic day for Puri and all of Odisha as a new train service has started from Srikhetra Puri to Sabar Srikhetra Koraput,” he said, thanking Vaishnaw for introducing the service.
The chief minister said Puri railway station was being redeveloped at a cost of Rs 184 crore to provide a better experience to pilgrims visiting the temple town from across the country.
CM Majhi, who hails from Kendujhar district, also requested Vaishnaw to introduce a similar train service from north Odisha.
Responding immediately, the Railway Minister announced that a new train connecting north Odisha with Puri would be introduced soon.
Addressing the gathering, Vaishnaw said there had been a long-standing demand for a train connecting coastal Odisha with the western and southern parts of the state during the daytime.
“Only the Hirakhand Express runs from Bhubaneswar to Koraput, and that too at night. Therefore, there was a demand for a daytime train service,” he said.
“Odisha Chief Minister had also written a letter to me in this regard. On the instruction of Lord Jagannath, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the train service from Puri to Koraput covering several districts of coastal, western and southern Odisha,” Vaishnaw said.
The minister said the BJP had promised investments of Rs 1 lakh-crore in Odisha’s railway sector over five years, and around Rs 97,000 crore had already been invested in the state during the past two years. The target will be fulfilled next year,” he said.
Drawing a comparison with the Golden Quadrilateral highway project undertaken during the tenure of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Vaishnaw said the Modi government was constructing four-lane railway corridors connecting New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai.
He said Puri railway station was being upgraded into a world-class facility, while around 50 railway stations across Odisha were being redeveloped.
Introduction of the Puri-Koraput Express fulfils the long-standing aspiration of people by providing direct rail connectivity between the holy city of Puri and the tribal heartland of Koraput. The regular schedule of the Puri-Koraput Express will be notified separately, officials said.
The train will greatly benefit pilgrims, tourists, students, patients, traders and locals by improving access to religious destinations, educational institutions, healthcare facilities and commercial centres across the state, they said.
The train will operate via Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Angola, Sambalpur, Bargada Road, Balangir, Titlagada, Kesinga, Muniguda, Rayagada, Kakiriguma and Damanjodi, thereby strengthening rail connectivity between coastal, western and southern Odisha, the official said.
Officials informed that the train will run from Puri Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and from Koraput Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, offering convenient travel.
