Kolkata to five Jyotirlingas: Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train unveiled

Indian Railways has announced a new tourist train called the 'Bharat Gaurav Special Tourist Train', which will take passengers from Kolkata to visit five pilgrimage sites. The train will also offer an EMI facility for the convenience of the passengers.

Starting on 20th May, the train will take tourists to five Jyotirlingas - Omkareshwar, Mahakaleshwar, Somnath, Nageshwar, Shani Shingnapur, along with Statue of Unity and Sirdi Saibaba. The train will also make stops at several cities, including Bandal Junction, Burdwan Junction, Bolpur-Shanti Niketan, Rampurhat Junction, Pakur, Sahebganj, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, and Patliputra. The special train will have a journey of 11 nights and 12 days, with a total of 656 seats, including air conditioning.

In addition, three special packages have been created for tourists, with fares ranging from Rs 20,060 to Rs 41,600 per person, depending on the type of accommodation chosen. The Indian Railways is also offering a 33% discount on this package to promote rail tourism. Furthermore, the Railways is providing EMI facilities of three to 18 months for tourists traveling on this train.

Speaking at a press conference with IRCTC officials, Arun Arora, General Manager, Eastern Railway, expressed his enthusiasm for this new train and its potential to boost tourism in the region. This new initiative by Indian Railways is expected to increase the popularity of pilgrimage sites and promote rail tourism in the country.