In new train under Bharat Gaurav, yoga coaches with no berths
NEW DELHI: The first tourist train under the Union government’s Bharat Gaurav scheme will have a first-of-its-kind twist, in more ways than one.
Two coaches will have no berths, allowing passengers to practise yoga on the 18-day pilgrimage round trip -- from Delhi to Nepal, and touching eight Indian states -- for which there will be trained instructors on board, people aware of the plans said on Thursday.
The train is part of the Shri Ramayana Yatra service, a special tourist service to be operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, which will begin from Safdarjung station in Delhi on June 21, which is also celebrated as International Yoga Day.
“India’s first Bharat Gaurav tourist train on Shri Ramayana Yatra Circuit will have different themes on all coaches and yoga is one of the themes. Passengers will be able to perform yoga. Apart from being designed to perform yoga, these two coaches will have yoga instructors too,” said a railway official, asking not to be named.
“The two dedicated yoga coaches will not have berths so that passengers have enough space to perform yoga,” said a railway official.
Costing ₹65,000 per head, a ticket will include all meals, overnight hotel stays at stops, and insurance costs.
The train will cover major tourist destinations of Ayodhya and Kashi (Varanasi) in Uttar Pradesh, Janakpur (Nepal), Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, Buxar and Sitamarhi in Bihar, Nashik in Maharashtra, Hampi in Karnataka, Rameshwaram and Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu and Bhadrachalam in Telangana on its 8,000-km long journey.
“As many as 450 tickets have already been booked for the maiden train that will reach its destination station in 18 days. A total of 600 passengers can travel in the train,” an IRCTC official said, asking not to be named.
The official added, “Apart from being the first tourist train under Bharat Gaurav Scheme of the railways, it is India’s first tourist train that will have all airconditioned coaches for passengers. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will provide a safety kit to all tourists containing a face mask, hand gloves and hand sanitiser.”
Last month, officials said this will be the first time a tourist train will go from India to Nepal.