RAILWAY MINISTER FLAGGED OFF THE EXTENSION OF
TRAIN NO.18311/12 SAMBALPUR-BANARAS- SAMBALPUR UPTO VISAKHAPATNAM
For the convenience of the passengers and to fulfill the long cherished public aspiration of Northern Andhra Pradesh and Southern Odisha, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications, & Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwani Vaishnaw flagged off the extension of Sambalpur-Banaras-Sambalpur Express up to Visakhapatnam today i.e 20.11.2023 from Sambalpur in august presence of Hon’ble Union Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, AGM Shri Sharad Kumar Shrivastav, DRM Sambalpur Shri Vineet Singh, local public representatives and other dignitaries. The Sambalpur- Visakhapatnam inaugural special train No. 08315 will run with open fast timings to Visakhapatnam. However the regular services will commence as detailed below. - The train No. 18311 Visakhapatnam-Banaras Express will leave from Visakhapatnam at 04.20hrs on every Wednesday and Sunday with effect from 22.11.2023 which will reach Banaras at 09.25 hrs on the next day.
- In the return direction, the train No. 18312 Banaras-Visakhapatnam Express will leave from Banaras at 15:00hrs on every Thursday & Monday towards Visakhapatnam with effect from 23.11.2023 which will reach Visakhapatnam at 19.30hrs on the next day.
Stoppages: Bargarh Road , Balangir, Titilagarh, Kesinga, Muniguda, Rayagada, Parvatipuram, Bobbili, Vizianagaram and Kottavalasa on the extended portion between Sambalpur and Visakhapatnam from both the directions.
Composition: 2nd AC-1, 3rd AC-4, Sleeper-8, General Second class-6, Second Class cum Divyangjan friendly coach-1, Generator Motor Car-1
Speaking on the occasion Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications, & Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwani Vaishnaw said that the promise given for the Extension of train from Sambalpur to Visakhapatnam fulfilled. This train facility will serve the demand for direct connectivity to Varanasi from Northern Andhra Pradesh, the interior districts of Western & Southern Odisha and Chhattisgarh. This improved rail connectivity promises a brighter future, not only for the residents of these regions but also for the economic landscape of the areas it touches.
