Rourkela: With the second Vande Bharat Express for the state plying between Puri and Rourkela, Steel City has now got its first connectivity to anywhere through the much-hyped Vande Bharat. For the last 15-20 days, Rourkela has been abuzz with the impending commencement of the semihigh-speed train. The train arrived at its designated time12.45 hours at Rourkela, Thursday. As soon as the announcement is made ahead of the arrival of the train, the entire station becomes active. There is a visible enthusiasm amongst the passengers and also those who come to see the train. Alighting from the train a lady travelling here from Puri said that she was extremely satisfied with the train and its facilities. “I had heard about bullet trains and TGV but today I found it is in no way inferior to those except for the speed. Everything inside was just out of the world given the kind of facilities we used to have in the Indian Railways trains,” she said. “This is a unique experience and I must say, I and my family enjoyed the journey thoroughly. The cleanliness is impeccable, the food that was served was the best in quality so far in comparison to other trains and the other facilities are wonderful. I am impressed,” A passenger said. Another passenger said, “Well to get a good service you have to pay some more and the quality of service totally matches the price. There is no denial.”
Similarly, those boarding the train for the first time from here to Puri and Bhubaneswar were also equally eager to experience it. “I had heard about it from my friends but never got the opportunity to try it myself. Now I am going to do that. Price is not an issue. What matters is the kind of services it offers,” said Abhishek Das, a software specialist. Another person who was travelling with his family to Puri said, “The train is great so a little steep price is not going to affect travellers.”