PM flags off Puri-Sonepur Express in Odisha

Sambalpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a one-day trip to Odisha today, flagged off the Puri-Sonepur-Puri Weekly Express train during a programme in Sambalpur district.

This will improve connectivity for all railway passengers in the western region of Odisha.

With the introduction of weekly express, Odisha’s Sonepur district was added to the map of the railway network.

“As the Sonepur district was connected with the railway networks, the devotees will get the opportunity to visit Puri and have darshan of Lord Jagannath,” PM Modi said in his address.

As per the information, the weekly train service will commence on February 8. The Puri-Sonepur Express train will run on Thursdays while the Sonepur-Puri train service will be available on Fridays.

According to schedule, the train will leave Puri at 7.25 pm on Thursdays and reach Sonepur at 5.30 am on Fridays.

In the return direction, the train will depart from Sonepur at 7.30 pm on Fridays and reach Puri at 6.55 am on Saturdays.

The train will have stoppages at Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Naraj Marthapur, Dhenkanal, Talcher, Angul, Boinda, Rairakhol, Sambalpur, Bargarh Road, Balangir, Bichhupali, Jhartarbha and Narsinghgarh between Puri and Sonepur.

Prior to flagging off the train, Prime Minister inaugurated, dedicated to the nation, and laid foundation stones for various developmental projects worth over RS 68,000 crore at the programme.

Read: PM Modi inaugurates baskets of developmental projects worth Rs 68k Crore in Odisha 

During his visit to western Odisha district, he also inaugurated the permanent campus of IIM-Sambalpur, one of the premier educational institutions imparting business administration courses.