PM Modi to inaugurate Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express on May 18

KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually flag off Bengal’s second Vande Bharat Express, this one on the Howrah-Puri route, on Thursday.

Commuters can book tickets from Wednesday and ride the train from Saturday. This will be the fastest train to Puri from Howrah, with about 500km covered in six hours.

The 22895 Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express leaves Howrah station at 6.10am and reaches Puri at 12.35pm.

Bhaskar Pyne, member, Eastern Railway Fans’ Club, said passengers would have the fastest train as an option. Prosenjit Das, who runs a hotel in Puri, said, “On Vande Bharat, I will be able to save half-a-day.”