Two new Vande Bharat Express trains commenced operations in Odisha, originating from Brahmapur and Rourkela. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off these trains, alongside four others in Jharkhand. The Odisha routes include Rourkela-Howrah and Brahmapur-Tatanagar, with special ceremonies held at the Brahmapur and Rourkela railway stations to mark the event. Odisha Governor Raghubar Das and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the ceremonies at the respective stations. Majhi boarded the Brahmapur-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express to travel to the state capital, Bhubaneswar. He emphasized that the new train would connect Odisha's silk city, Brahmapur, to India's steel city, Tatanagar, with a journey time of 9.05 hours. The Chief Minister highlighted the Union government's focus on enhancing Odisha's railway sector, stating that the Centre has allocated Rs 1 trillion for railway infrastructure projects in the state. To date, projects worth more than Rs 700 billion have been approved, significantly strengthening the state's railway network. In this year's budget, approximately Rs 105.86 billion was allocated for Odisha's railway development. The new Vande Bharat Express service is expected to enhance connectivity between Jharkhand and Odisha, improving access along this vital industrial corridor. The Brahmapur-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express departed from Brahmapur at 11 a.m. on its inaugural run. Regular services are set to begin on September 18 from Tatanagar and September 19 from Brahmapur. (ET)