Exclusive train to pilgrim centres

This is the first such train for this financial year and the fourth such train to be run by the South Western Railway unit of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) since its inception. 

The train attempts to substitute the absence of a ‘Bharat Darshan’ train for the SWR region, said a top railway official. Families and senior citizens are on board the train, which is on a 14-day pilgrim tour. 

The train will cover holy spots at Agra, New Delhi, Haridwar, Allahabad, Gaya and Varanasi before returning to the City on December 30. The train has an additional coach to cater to the overwhelming demand from pilgrims, he added.

Uniqueness?

When asked about the uniqueness of the train, IRCTC Chief Regional Manager, S Gagarin, said that IRCTC had operated a similar train once in 2007 and twice in 2008.

“This is the first time for this year we are running the train,” he said. On the package cost, he said that the chartered pilgrim train costs Rs 900 per day for a pilgrim.

He also conceded that it was costlier than the daily package cost offered by Bharat Darshan. “The cost on the Bharat Darshan train worked out to just Rs 500 per day.”