Passengers travelling to Puri for pilgrimage will soon have an additional train option, as the Indian Railways is set to introduce a new service from Gomtinagar to Puri via Gonda and Gorakhpur. The train has already been included in the latest railway timetable and will begin operations once a new rake is allocated from the Rail Coach Factory.

Currently, train 12876, the Nilanchal Express, runs from Lucknow to Puri three days a week: Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. This train departs from Lucknow station at 3:10 PM and reaches Puri at 5:55 PM the next day, travelling via Maa Belha Devi Dham Pratapgarh and Varanasi. Due to the limited seat quota for Lucknow on the Nilanchal Express, passengers often face long waiting lists.

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In response, the railway ran a special train from Gomtinagar to Malipatpur in Puri in November 2023. The railway later discontinued the operation of this special train. Following demand from passengers, the railway has once again included this train in its timetable. This train will run once a week, on Thursdays.

The proposed stops for this train are at Barabanki, Gonda, Mankapur, Basti, Khalilabad, Gorakhpur, Deoria Sadar, Bhatni, Belthara Road, Mau, Aunrihar, Jaunpur Junction, Varanasi, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Sasaram, Dehri On Sone, Gaya, Koderma, Gomoh, Mahuda, Bhojudih, Jakhapura, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Khurda Road stations. However, the final timetable will be included in the notification issued by the railway.

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Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan has recently sent a letter to the railway demanding a train service to Puri. The railway has shared the information about running this new train with the MP.