Bhubaneswar: The Indian Railways has approved the regularisation of two special trains connecting Odisha with Jharkhand and Bihar, a move expected to improve passenger convenience and strengthen regional rail connectivity.
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi about the decision through a letter.
“Kindly refer to our discussion regarding the regularisation of special trains for public convenience. You would be pleased to know that regularisation of the two special trains has been approved,” Vaishnaw said in the communication.
Following the approval, the Bhubaneswar–Dhanbad Special (02832/02831) will now run as the Bhubaneswar–Dhanbad Express (18403/18404), while the Puri–Patna Special (08439/08440) will operate as the Puri–Patna Express (18405/18406).
The Bhubaneswar–Dhanbad Express will run daily. It will depart from Bhubaneswar at 8.25 pm and reach Dhanbad at 11 am the following day. On the return journey, the train will leave Dhanbad at 4 pm and arrive in Bhubaneswar at 7.45 am the next day. Within Odisha, the train will halt at Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Talcher Road, Angul, Rairakhol, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Rourkela.
The Puri–Patna Express will operate weekly. It will depart from Puri at 2.55 pm every Saturday and reach Patna at 10.45 am the next day. In the return direction, the train will leave Patna at 1.30 pm on Sundays and reach Puri at 9.45 am the following day. In Odisha, it will stop at Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Bhadrak and Balasore.
Chief Minister Majhi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the railway minister for approving the proposal.
“This important decision will strengthen railway connectivity in Odisha, enhancing passenger convenience while boosting mobility, tourism and regional development across the state,” Majhi said in a post on X.
