West Bengal's Second Vande Bharat Express To Be Deployed On Howrah-Puri Route, Trial Begins

The Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express train operated by Indian Railways will be the second unit of the train to be operated in West Bengal and first for Odisha.

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West Bengal is set to get its second semi-high-speed Vande Bharat express train, which is most likely to run in the busy Howrah-Puri route. A South Eastern Railway official said that a trial run of a newly allocated rake was being held on the Howrah-Puri route on Friday. The route and date of commencement of service of the Vande Bharat express train is yet to be received officially, he said.

"We have received a Vande Bharat rake from the ICF, Perumbur, and a trial run is being held today on the Howrah-Puri route," he said. 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, travel operators said.