The second Vande Bharat Express train for Odisha connecting Rourkela and Puri is likely to be launched by September 30.
Though the date is yet to be announced officially, the schedule of the trial run of the semi-high-speed train by the Indian Railways has been fixed.
Sources said the trial run would be conducted between Puri and Rourkela in the second week of September.
According to reports, an eight-coach Vande Bharat Express reached the Sakhigopal railway station in Puri district from Chennai on Friday.
As per the trial run schedule, 20836 Puri-Rourkela Vande Bharat Express will leave Puri railway station at 5 am and reach Khurda Road railway station at 5.42 am.
The train is scheduled to arrive at 6.04 am at Bhubaneswar railway station and at 6.34 am at Cuttack railway station. It will reach Dhenkanal at 7.24 am, Angul at 8.14 am, Sambalpur City at 10.18 am, Jharsuguda at 11.23 am, and Rourkela at 12.45 pm.
In return direction, the Rourkela-Puri Vande Bharat Express will start from Rourkela at 2.10 pm. It will reach Jharsuguda at 3.23 pm, Sambalpur City at 4.03 pm, Angul at 6.14 pm, Dhenkanal at 6.54 pm, Cuttack at 7.42 pm, Bhubaneswar at 8.15 pm, Khurda Road at 8.37 pm and Puri at 9.40 pm.
The train will run six days a week except Saturday. It will cover a 505-km-long distance between Puri and Rourkela in 7.45 hours.
During the trial run, the train is expected to move with an average speed of 63.33 km-65.16 kmph.
