Indian Railways will begin Bharat Gaurav trains – the third segment of trains of tourism after freight and passenger segments—in order to boost tourism, railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Tuesday.
A set of 3,033 coaches or 190 theme-based trains are being introduced under the Bharat Gaurav segment, the railways minister said during a press conference, adding that these trains can be run both by the private sector as well as the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
Bharat Gaurav train schedule, fare and other details:
The Bharat Gaurav trains are not regular trains but they will run on timetables, the minister said. Tourists will be able to choose luxury or budget coaches depending on the requirement.
The train will be composed of 14 to 20 coaches including 2 SLRs (guard vans).
The train fare will be practically decided by tour operators but the railways will ensure that there is no abnormality in the prices, Vaishnaw said at the press briefing.
The themes would be decided by the service providers and the packages will include rail travel, hotel accommodation, sightseeing arrangement, visit to historical/heritage sites, tour guides, etc for the tourist.
{{/usCountry}}The themes would be decided by the service providers and the packages will include rail travel, hotel accommodation, sightseeing arrangement, visit to historical/heritage sites, tour guides, etc for the tourist.
{{/usCountry}}"These trains will showcase India's culture and heritage. We have invited applications for them from today," he added.
The minister also said that state governments of Odisha, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have shown interest in these trains.