Following is from an East Coast Railways press release:

Ministry of Railways will introduce the new Bhubanewar-Rameswaram-Bhubaneswar weekly express with effect from 21st May 2010 from Bhubaneswar and from 23rd May 2010 from Rameswaram.

8496 Bhubaneswar-Rameswaram –Bhubaneswar weekly express will leave Bhubaneswar at 12.00 noon on every Friday and will arrive Rameswaram at 11.55 pm on every Saturday.  In the return direction, 8495 Rameswaram-Bhubaneswar weekly express will leave Rameswaram at 6.30 a.m on every Sunday and will arrive Bhubaneswar at 6.40 pm on every Monday.

8496/8495 Bhubaneswar-Rameswaram-Bhubaneswar weekly express will have stoppages at Khurda Road , Brahmapur, Vizianagaram, Duvvada, Vijayawada, Gudur, Chennai Egmore, Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakanam, Thanjavur, Tiruchirapali, Koraikuddi and Manmadurai stations between Bhubaneswar and Rameswaram having one AC-2 tier, one AC-3 tier , 10 Sleeper Class coaches , 04 General 2nd Class coaches, two Guard-Cum-Luggage vans and one Pantry Car in its composition.

This makes three exclusive trains between Bhubaneswar and Chennai. (By exclusive, I mean they will not be already occupied by passengers from/to Howrah thus having more quota for Odisha passengers.) They are:

  • 2829/30 Bhubaneswar-Chennai
  • 2897/98 Bhubaneswar-Pondicherry
  • 8495/96 Bhubaneswar-Rameswaram

Also the newly proposed Haldia-Chennai train may have more room for Odisha passengers as compared to Coromandel and Howrah-Chennai mail.

In general the east coast of Odisha has very good exclusive connectivity to the main Southern cities; Prashanti to Bangalore and Visakha and Konark to Hyderabad.

See http://www.orissalinks.com/orissagrowth/archives/3380 for the other announced trains that are still pending.