Howrah–Rourkela Vande Bharat Express

The 20871/20872 Howrah - Rourkela Vande Bharat Express is India's 58th Vande Bharat Express train, connecting the metropolitan and twin city of Kolkata, Howrah in West Bengal with the smart city of Rourkela in Odisha.

Howrah Junction – Rourkela Junction Vande Bharat Express
Overview
Service type	Vande Bharat Express
Locale	West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha
First service	15 September 2024 (2024-09-15) (Inaugural) 18 September 2024; 12 months ago (18 September 2024) (Commercial)
Current operator	South Eastern Railways (SER)
Route
Termini	Howrah Junction (HWH) Rourkela Junction (ROU)
Stops	03
Distance travelled	412 km (256 mi)
Average journey time	05 hrs 50 mins
Service frequency	Six days a week [a]
Train number	20871 / 20872
Line used	Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line (till Rourkela Junction)
On-board services
Class(es)	AC Chair Car, AC Executive Chair Car
Seating arrangements	Airline style Rotatable seats
Sleeping arrangements	No
Catering facilities	On board Catering
Observation facilities	Large windows in all coaches
Entertainment facilities	On-board WiFi Infotainment System Electric outlets Reading light Seat Pockets Bottle Holder Tray Table
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks
Other facilities	Kavach
Technical
Rolling stock	Mini Vande Bharat 2.0
Track gauge	Indian gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead line
Operating speed	71 km/h (44 mph) (Avg.)
Average length	192 metres (630 ft) (08 coaches)
Track owner	Indian Railways
Rake maintenance	Santragachi Jn (SRC)
Route map Legend 20871 ↓ Howrah Junction Kharagpur Junction West Bengal Jharkhand border Tatanagar Junction Chakradharpur Jharkhand Odisha border 20872 ↑ Rourkela Junction

This express train was inaugurated on September 15, 2024, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conferencing from the capital city of Ranchi instead of physically inaugurating at Tatanagar Junction in Jharkhand due to continuous rains in Jamshedpur.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}

Overview

This train is currently operated by Indian Railways, connecting Howrah Jn, Kharagpur Jn, Tatanagar Jn, Chakradharpur and Rourkela Jn. It currently operates with train numbers 20871/20872 on 6 days a week basis.^[8]

Rakes

It is the fifty-fifth 2nd Generation and thirty-ninth Mini Vande Bharat 2.0 Express train which was designed and manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory at Perambur, Chennai under the Make in India Initiative.^[9]

Service

The 20871/20872 Howrah Jn - Rourkela Jn Vande Bharat Express operates six days a week except Tuesdays, covering a distance of 412 km (256 mi) in a travel time of 5 hours with an average speed of 71 km/h (44 mph). The Maximum Permissible Speed is 130 km/h (81 mph).

See also

• Vande Bharat Express
• Tejas Express
• Gatiman Express
• Howrah Junction railway station
• Rourkela Junction railway station

Notes

1. Except Tuesdays