The most awaited and the most needed train for Allahabad from Sambalpur station was flagged off on Saturday. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, through video conferencing, flagged off the train from New Delhi.
Sambalpur MP Nagendra Pradhan, Bargarh MP Dr Pravash Singh, MlA Dr Raseswari Panigrahi, MlA Rabi Nayak and DRM DK Singh flagged off the train from Sambalpur.
A huge gathering was there since this particular train was in demand since last 20 years.
This was a regular train from Jammu Tawi to Rourkela and it has been extended to Sambalpur on public demand. Although the destination of the train is up to Jammu Tawi in J and K, but people here require it mostly for travelling to Allahabad for the religious as well as last rite works.
Notably, when DRM of Sambalpur railway division DK Singh joined here almost two years back, he had assured to run a Sambalpur -Allahabad train.
MP Pradhan expressed utmost satisfaction since the Railway Board has considered a popular demand of the people.
Meanwhile, the local here have demanded extension of south bound trains from Bhubaneswar to Sambalpur since Sambalpur has only one train daily to Chennai and Kerala.