The Kolhapur-Pune Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated on the 16th of September, significantly reducing travel time between the two cities to around five hours. This new service is a major upgrade over the Mahalaxmi Express and Koyna Express, which take six-and-a-half and eight hours, respectively. The inauguration was conducted via video conferencing by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Minister of State for Railways, V. Somanna, attending the ceremony in Kolhapur.
Initially, there were plans for a Vande Bharat Express on the Hubballi-Pune route with a stop at Kolhapur. However, due to passenger concerns about increased travel time and distance, MPs and local associations requested separate services for Kolhapur-Pune and Hubballi-Pune. Consequently, the decision was made to operate both routes independently.
In Odisha, two new Vande Bharat Express trains also commenced operations on September 16, connecting Brahmapur with Tatanagar and Rourkela with Howrah. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off these services alongside four other trains in Jharkhand. Odisha Governor Raghubar Das and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the launch ceremonies at Brahmapur and Rourkela railway stations, respectively.
The Brahmapur-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express will enhance connectivity between Odisha’s silk city, Brahmapur, and India’s steel city, Tatanagar, with a journey time of 9.05 hours. Regular services for this route will start on September 18 from Tatanagar and September 19 from Brahmapur. The launch of these new Vande Bharat Express services is part of a broader effort to improve railway infrastructure in Odisha, with the Union government allocating substantial funds for ongoing and future projects.
