Apart from state-of-the-art features, the Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express’ arrival schedule in resonance with the hotel check-out timings, could give the recently-introduced train an edge over others from the city to Puri.
According to sources in the railways, before the introduction of Vande Bharat, there were about six major trains under the Eastern and South Eastern Railway to Puri from different stations, in and around the city.
The trains include Howrahpuri Satabdi Express, Dhauli Express, Puri Superfast, Sealdah-Puri Duronto Express, Jagannath Express and Puri Garibrath Express. Of these trains, Dhauli Express is popular among tourists and other passengers alike.
Starting from Shalimar at 9.15 am, the train arrives in Puri at around 6pm covering the distance of about 500km in around eight hours 45 minutes. At a fare of about Rs 700 for a chair car, the train is operated daily.
One of the other popular options for Puri-bound passengers from the city is the Howrah-puri Satabdi Express. It starts at 2.15 pm from Howrah and arrives in Puri at 9.50 pm. Also operated daily from Howrah, the fare for chair car is around Rs 1,380, including catering charges.
However, both the trains take longer to reach the same distance of around 500km. Also, the arrival timing of these trains is such that passengers hit the beach city after the daytime.
The recent addition to the beach and pilgrimage destination from the city, the Vande Bharat Express starts from Howrah at 6.10 am reaching Puri at around 2.30 pm. According to sources in the railway, of the various available options, the journey duration of the premium train is not only the shortest, but also best suited for check-in at hotels in Puri. By reaching Puri at around 12.30 pm, tourists would easily be able to check-in at the hotels.
The demand of the train, according to the CPRO of the South Eastern Railway, Aditya Kumar Chaudhary, is evident from the waiting list that continues at least for the next eight days only in two days of bookings