Berhampur, Feb. 10: Railway minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the Gunupur-Visakhapatnam via Paralakhemundi fast passenger train through video conferencing from Railway Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday.
Convenor of Andhra-Odisha Railway Users' Association Satya Narayan Panda, who had led the agitation demanding the introduction of the train for 30 years, said the people had needed a train on the broad-gauge line from Nuapada to Gunupur since 1985.
Earlier, the Paralakhemundi Light Railway, a narrow gauge railway line, was used on this route. Rail movement on the narrow gauge line was suspended from September 2002 for gauge conversion. On December 19, 2010, the line re-opened as a broad gauge one and the Paralakhemundi-Puri fast passenger train. It was later extended to Gunupur.
The Gunupur-Visakhapatnam train would benefit the people in Rayagada and Gajapati districts in Odisha and Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh.