Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday announced that a new express train connecting Puri and Koraput will begin operations shortly.

The Ministry of Railways has approved the service, which will run three days a week.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for approving the new train. He noted that the new service will also allow more pilgrims from the Koraput and Sambalpur regions to travel comfortably to the holy city of Puri.

According to a release from his office, the train will operate via Sambalpur, significantly improving rail connectivity across eastern, western, and southern parts of Odisha. It is is expected to boost tourism, particularly religious tourism, and enhance economic and social connectivity between key regions of the state.

Service Schedule
Train No. 18407 (Puri to Koraput) will depart from Puri on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Train No. 18408 (Koraput to Puri) will depart from Koraput on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

The train will have stoppages at Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Naraj-Marathapur, Dhenkanal, Talcher Road, Angul, Baitarani Road, Rairakhol, Sambalpur, Bargarh Road, Balangir, Titlagarh, Kesinga, Muniguda, Rayagada, Tikiri, Lakshmipur Road, Kikiriguma, and Damanjodi. “The new train, numbered 18407/18408 Puri–Koraput–Puri Express, will operate via Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Angul, Sambalpur, Bargarh Road, Balangir, Titlagarh, Kesinga, Muniguda, Rayagada, Kakiriguma and Damanjodi thereby connecting coastal, western and southern Odisha with improved passenger convenience and regional accessibility,” the ECoR said in a release.

It further noted that this train fulfils a long standing aspiration of the people of several underserved regions of Odisha for a direct and convenient rail link between Puri, Bhubaneswar and the tribal dominated districts of southern Odisha. “The service will also provide seamless connectivity for pilgrims visiting Jagannath Temple and tourists travelling to the scenic and tribal regions of Koraput and Rayagada. It will particularly strengthen connectivity to KBK region districts and improve access to important educational, medical and administrative centres of the state.”

Notably, activists and residents of Korakut have long been demanding a train connecting Koraput to Bhubaneswar via Sambalpur and Angul, arguing that the route would bring substantial benefits to the region while easing overcrowding and improving connectivity. At present, the Hirakhand Express is the only train serving the area, operating between Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh and Bhubaneswar via Rayagada and Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh.