After Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off six new Vande Bharat Express trains on Sunday, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took a ceremonial ride on the Brahmapur-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express and interacted with students during its inaugural run. The Chief Minister praised the initiative, highlighting its potential to boost tourism and economic activity in the region.
Speaking on the occasion, Majhi expressed his satisfaction with the launch of the three new Vande Bharat trains for Odisha, stating, “It was my suggestion to start this train from Brahmapur to Tatanagar. This will significantly increase tourism and economic activity in the region. I am also very happy to interact with the children today.”
As part of the inaugural event, 150 students from the East Coast Railway Mixed Higher Secondary School in Khurda had the opportunity to take a free ride on the Vande Bharat Express from Brahmapur to Khurda Junction. Many students shared their excitement about experiencing the high-speed train for the first time.
The six newly launched Vande Bharat trains, flagged off virtually by Prime Minister Modi from Tatanagar in Jharkhand, will enhance connectivity on key routes, including Tatanagar-Patna, Bhagalpur-Dumka-Howrah, Brahmapur-Tatanagar, Gaya-Howrah, Deoghar-Varanasi, and Rourkela-Howrah. These new services are expected to boost religious tourism, providing faster access to pilgrimage sites like Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, and Kalighat and Belur Math in Kolkata.
Beyond tourism, the introduction of these trains is set to positively impact several key industries in the region. The coal mining sector in Dhanbad, the jute industry in Kolkata, and the iron and steel industries in Durgapur are expected to receive a significant boost through improved transport and logistics connectivity.
In addition to the train flag-off, Prime Minister Modi also laid the foundation stone for various railway projects worth over Rs 660 crore. The Vande Bharat Express trains, an example of India’s successful ‘Make in India’ initiative, have become a symbol of India’s rail modernization. The first Vande Bharat Express, launched on February 15, 2019, on the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route, can run at a speed of up to 160 km/h, setting a new standard for semi-high-speed rail travel in the country.
