West Bengal to get second Vande Bharat express on Howrah-Puri route

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.