The second Bharat Gaurav train in Southern Railway left Madurai with 170 passengers for Varanasi on Saturday on a 12-day pilgrimage to several places, including seven Sakthi Peeth.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Prahlad Joshi, flagged off the train from New Delhi through video-conference.
Union Minister of State for Railways, Coal and Mines, Danve Raosaheb Dadarao, Union Minister of State for Textiles and Railways, Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Board, V.K. Tripathy, were present with him.
The train with a capacity of 560 passengers had got an overwhelming response with 85% booking or 470 passengers travelling in four 3-tier AC coaches and six sleeper class coaches. The highlight of the pilgrimage train is performing puja to ancestors at Shiro Gaya on the special occasion of Aadi Amavasai on July 28.
It would also go to Puri, Kolkata, Gaya, Prayagraj and Vijayawada.
Electric stoves are being used in the pantry car of the private tourist train for the first time. This stoves are safer than LPG stoves. The train would return to Madurai on August 3.
Chief Commercial Manager Senthilkumar, Chief Operating Manager Sivakumar, Madurai Divisional Railway Manager P. Ananth and other officials were present.
The private train operator has paid ₹ 55.80 lakh as operating cost to Indian Railways.
Published - July 23, 2022 08:26 pm IST
