Industry Odisha Bureau, Jul 6: In a major boost to rail connectivity and passenger convenience, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today flagged off the inaugural Puri–Koraput Express Special from Puri Railway Station and the Brahmapur–Udhna (Surat) daily Amrit Bharat Express from Brahmapur Railway Station.
Further, Vaishnaw participated in a Video Conferencing programme from Rail Sadan, Bhubaneswar, where he simultaneously flagged off the Nanded–Mumbai and Tanakpur–Nanded Express trains and inaugurated the extension of the Tanakpur–Pilibhit train service up to Shahjahanpur, reflecting Indian Railways’ commitment to strengthening rail connectivity across the country.
Apart from inaugurating these services, the Chief Minister and the Railway Minister inspected the ongoing redevelopment of Puri Railway Station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and reviewed Railways’ preparedness for the ongoing Rath Yatra. They assessed the progress of station redevelopment and reviewed arrangements made for safe, smooth and comfortable travel for lakhs of devotees visiting Puri during the festival.
The Railway Minister reviewed crowd management, passenger movement, operational preparedness and passenger amenities. Senior Railway officials briefed the dignitaries on the integrated operational plan.
He informed that Indian Railways has planned to operate over 300 Special Trains during Rath Yatra, besides creating holding areas for more than 30,000 devotees, setting up additional ticket counters, food distribution arrangements and enhanced safety and passenger facilities to ensure seamless travel during the festival.
Speaking at the event in Puri, 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.
Majhi, who hails from Keonjhar 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 daytime train connecting coastal Odisha with the western and southern parts of the state.
“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.
Speaking at the inaugural of the Brahmapur–Udhna express train, Vaishnaw said the Brahmapur railway station will be redeveloped into a world class station at a cost of Rs 300 crore.
A new chapter has been added into the developmental journey of Odisha with the commencement of daily train service from silk city to Surat, CM Majhi said.
It will benefit the people of south Odisha and especially Ganjam district, he added
The newly introduced Puri–Koraput Express fulfils a long standing aspiration by providing direct rail connectivity between the holy city of Puri and the tribal heartland of Koraput.
The train will benefit pilgrims, tourists, students, patients, traders and local residents while strengthening connectivity between coastal, western and southern Odisha through Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Angul, Sambalpur, Bargarh Road, Balangir, Titlagarh, Kesinga, Muniguda, Rayagada, Kakiriguma and Damanjodi.
The inaugural service marks the beginning of the regular Train No. 18407/18408 Puri–Koraput–Puri Express, the detailed timetable of which will be notified separately. The train will run from Puri on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and from Koraput on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
The Brahmapur–Udhna (Surat) Amrit Bharat Express, connecting Odisha with Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, has become an important rail link for workers, students, traders and passengers. Its conversion into a daily service will significantly improve travel flexibility, strengthen connectivity with major industrial and commercial centres and support trade, employment and economic activities.
These initiatives reaffirm Indian Railways’ commitment to expanding rail connectivity, improving passenger amenities and supporting balanced regional development.
Together, the new train services, enhanced frequency and comprehensive Rath Yatra arrangements will strengthen tourism, commerce, education, healthcare access and economic growth, contributing to the vision of Viksit Odisha and Viksit Bharat.
During the programme at Brahmapur, Vaishnaw announced that Brahmapur Railway Station will be developed into a world class railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme at an estimated cost of around Rs 300 crore.
He also said that the redeveloped station will feature state-of-the-art passenger amenities, modern architecture, enhanced accessibility and multimodal integration, making it a landmark gateway for southern Odisha.
The Minister further assured that he would visit Brahmapur again to participate in the foundation ceremony for the ambitious redevelopment project, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening railway infrastructure in the region.
