Bhubaneswar: Indian Railways has approved the regularisation of the Bhubaneswar-Dhanbad and Puri-Patna special trains.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has informed Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi about the development.
“Kindly refer to our discussion regarding the regularisation of special trains for public convenience. You would be pleased to know that regularisation of the two special trains has been approved,” Vaishnaw said in a letter to the chief minister.
Bhubaneswar-Dhanbad Special (02832/02831) will now run as Bhubaneswar-Dhanbad Express (18403/18404) and Puri-Patna Special (08439/08440) will now run as Puri-Patna Express (18405/18406).
The daily Bhubaneswar-Dhanbad Express departs Bhubaneswar at 8.25 pm and arrives in Dhanbad at 11 am the next day. Its return journey will commence at 4 pm and the train would arrive at the Odisha capital at 7.45 am the next day.
The Bhubaneswar-Dhanbad Express will halt at Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Talcher Road, Angul, Rairakhol, Sambalpur city, Jharsuguda and Rourkela in Odisha.
The weekly Puri-Patna Express will leave the coastal pilgrim town at 2.55 pm Saturdays and reach the Bihar capital at 10.45 am the next day. In its return journey, the train would leave Patna at 1.30 pm Sundays and reach Puri at 9.45 am the next day.
It would halt at Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur, Keonjhar Road, Bhadrak and Balasore in Odisha.
Majhi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the railway minister for approving the regularisation of the trains.
“This important decision will strengthen railway connectivity in Odisha, enhancing passenger convenience while boosting mobility, tourism and regional development across the state,” the CM said in an X post.