Title - Puja Special: Tatanagar-Vizag train flagged off

JAMSHEDPUR: A 16-coach puja special express train to Vishakhapatnam was flagged off on Monday from Tatanagar station.

The train, introduced by the East Coast Railway, will leave Tatanagar every Monday at 1pm and reach Vizag early on Tuesday.

The train, which has four air-conditioned compartments, will go through Chaibasa, Rajkharswan, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. and Kurda Road Brahmpur, Srikakulam, Palasa, Vizianagaram,Simhachalam and Viskhapatnam, among other stations, would board this train.

"We are really happy that finally our demand has been fulfilled," said 48-year-old Amit Mandal, aregular passenger on the route.

The puja special train will be available "till November 24 (for the time being) but depending on the response (from travellers) further decision (on extending services) would be taken", said Tatanagar railway station manager Avtar Singh.

On return journey, train no. 08516 Express will leave Visakhapatnam on Sundays from at 5:45 p.m. and reach Tatanagar on the next day at 10:45 a.m.

The express has four air-conditioned compartments and composition of the Express train comprises four AC compartments, (two bogies each of 2nd and 3rd AC) six sleeper and six general bogies, respectively.

This train will travel through stations between Tatanagar - Rajkharswan-Jakhapura junction and on the Cuttack-Visakhapatnam main line before reaching the last destination.

"We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Jamshedpur MP (Dr Ajay Kumar) for his great support in realising the demand of the scores of passengers who were confronting acute travelling woes all these years owing to limited trains to Visakhapatnam from here," said JVM (P) party Kolhan unit spokesman,C H Rammurthy.

Replying to a query, Singh said few of the seats remained vacant on the first day as people are not completely aware of the introduction of the new train.