Bhubaneswar: Indian Railways has introduced two new Amrit Bharat Express train services which will benefit passengers in Odisha as they will pass through several districts in the state.

Both are weekly services, which will pass through the jurisdiction of East Coast Railway (ECoR).

The Kamakhya-Charlapalli Weekly Amrit Bharat Express will connect the northeast and southern part of India, while the and Podanur (Coimbatore)-Dhanbad Amrit Bharat Weekly Express will connect Tamil Nadu with east India.

The introduction of these Amrit Bharat Express services will provide better mobility for students, workers and traders, and is expected to boost tourism, pilgrimage travel and local economy across the regions.

Here are details of the routes:

Kamakhya-Charlapalli Weekly Amrit Bharat Express

The train will pass through Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Ganjam in Odisha, and Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and other cities in Andhra, benefiting passengers in both these states and adjoining regions. The train will leave Kamakhya every Sunday and from Charlapalli every Wednesday.

Podanur (Coimbatore)-Dhanbad Amrit Bharat Weekly Express

The train will pass through Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam in Andhra, and Rayagada, Kalahandi, Balangir, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh in Odisha. It will provide an additional rail connectivity for passengers travelling between southern India and the eastern coal belt region. The train will leave Podanur every Saturday and from Dhanbad every Monday.

The Amrit Bharat Express trains are German-designed LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) coaches adopted by Indian Railways for improved safety, higher speeds (160-200 kmph), and enhanced passenger comfort.

Made of stainless steel, the trains feature anti-telescopic technology which prevent severe damage in case of accidents.

These trains are also equipped with improved seating, better luggage space, enhanced safety features, and upgraded passenger comfort facilities.

These LHB carriers are gradually replacing ICF coaches across major express and Rajdhani trains.