Tourist trains to connect pilgrim centres

Aiming at boosting domestic tourism, railway minister Sadananda Gowda announced on Tuesday several tourist trains connecting pilgrim centres across the country.

Aiming at boosting domestic tourism, railway minister Sadananda Gowda announced on Tuesday several tourist trains connecting pilgrim centres across the country.

Special pilgrim circuits like Devi Circuit, Jyotirling Circuit, Jain Circuit among others have been identified by railways for running pilgrim trains were announced in the rail budget 2014-15.

Besides, the NDA government's maiden rail budget proposed to introduce trains in Christian Circuit, Muslim/Sufi Circuit, Sikh Circuit, Buddhist Circuit and other famous temple circuits across the country.

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Private participation in the pilgrim sector will also be encouraged, Gowda said, while presenting his maiden budget.

He said there is a huge untapped potential in the field of domestic tourism in the country. "We plan to take up eco-tourism and education tourism in North-Eastern states."

Railways also proposed a tourist train from Gadag to Pandarpur passing through Bagalkot, Bijapur and Solapur covering the pilgrim and tourist places of Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Tourist train from Rameswaram covering pilgrim and tourist places like Bengaluru, Chennai, Ayodhya, Varanasi and Haridwar.

The rail budget also proposed a special train featuring life and works of Swami Vivekananda.