Introducing Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar railway station (station code BBS) is the main station of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha and the city of temples. It is run by the East Coast Railway zone, whose headquarters is in Bhubaneswar, and falls under the Khurda Road division. It is graded NSG-2 and handles more than 35,000 passengers a day.
Bhubaneswar's history
The railway came to this part of Odisha with the East Coast State Railway, which built about 800 miles of line along the coast between 1893 and 1896. Bhubaneswar station dates from 1896. When Bhubaneswar grew into the state capital, the station was steadily improved, and in 2001 it was electrified and platforms 3 and 4 were opened.
Lines
Bhubaneswar is on two important routes:
- Howrah–Chennai main line, the coastal trunk route along India's east coast
- Kharagpur–Puri line, which carries pilgrims to Puri
Inside Bhubaneswar
BBS has 6 platforms on 8 broad-gauge tracks, about 33 metres above sea level.
Who calls at Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar has Rajdhani services to New Delhi, Vande Bharat trains and many express trains along the east coast to Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Bengaluru. Rajdhani, Vande Bharat and coastal express timings from BBS are in our train timetable.
Gateway to the Golden Triangle
Bhubaneswar is the usual arrival point for Odisha's famous tourist triangle:
- Bhubaneswar: the Lingaraj Temple and hundreds of other historic temples in the old town.
- Puri: the Jagannath Temple and beach, reachable by train on the Kharagpur–Puri line.
- Konark: the UNESCO-listed Sun Temple, reached by road.
Bhubaneswar by metro, bus and road
- Road: autos, taxis and city buses from the Master Canteen area, in the centre of the city.
- Airport: Biju Patnaik International Airport is a short drive away.
- Other stations: Bhubaneswar New station and Cuttack, the old capital, are also nearby.
Bhubaneswar pointers
- During the Rath Yatra in Puri, trains and the station get very crowded; book well ahead.
- Many trains to Puri stop at Bhubaneswar, so it can be easier to break the journey here.