On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lay the foundation stone and dedicated multiple railway projects worth over 80,000 million to the country via video-conferencing in Odisha. The Vande Bharat Express between Puri and Howrah is one of the projects. The Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat train will travel through the Odisha districts of Khordha, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, and Balasore, as well as the West Bengal districts of Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur.

In his address to the gathering, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "India's speed and progress can be seen whenever a Vande Bharat Train runs from one place to another," adding that this pace could now be seen in the states of Odisha and West Bengal.