Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) today announced the launch of a string of all-inclusive ‘Bharat Darshan’ special train packages which would take travellers to a mix of popular pilgrimage destinations and historical places across the country at affordable rates during October-December.
IRCTC, a ‘mini Ratna’ PSU of the Railway Ministry, operates ‘Bharat Darshan’ trains, having multiple city pickups, at an affordable price of Rs 800 per person per day, especially for domestic tourists in budget category.
All the packages include confirmed train tickets, sightseeing, accommodation, vegetarian food, road transportation besides facilities of security guards and housekeeping. The train comprises 18 coaches, comprising a pantry car, two luggage coaches and 15 sleeper coaches.
The first train in the series will depart from Chandigarh on October 4 on a six-day visit of Shirdi-Saisignapur-
Next in the series is a train which will embark on a 13-day journey of ‘Dakshin Bharat Yatra’ from Varanasi on October 14. Places covered in this trip are Rameswaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Tirupati and Malikarjun. The train has stoppages at Mau, Deoria, Gorakhpur, Gonda, Lucknow, Kanpur and Jhansi stations for boarding and the ticket fare is Rs 10,870 per person.
The third Bharat Darshan train will depart from Chandigarh on November 2 for South India covering Rameswaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati and Malikarjun. Passengers can also board this train at Mau, Deoria, Gorakhpur, Gonda, Lucknow, Kanpur and Jhansi stations. The fare for this train is Rs 10,870 per person.
Besides these three itineraries, IRCTC’s North Zone has also planned two packages for ‘Seven Jyotirling Yatra’ on November 7 and December 2, which will originate from Nangal Dam and Varanasi, respectively. These two trains will cost Rs 10,040 per person and cover Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Dwarka, Nageshwar, Somnath, Trayambakeshwar, Shirdi, Bhimashankar, Grishneshwar and Ellora caves.
The train starting on November 17 will have stoppages at Chandigarh, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, Delhi Cantt, Rewari and Jaipur stations while the one leaving on December 2 will halt at Sultanpur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra and Jhansi stations for boarding and de-boarding of passengers.
IRCTC has planned another trip for Varanasi, Gaya, Puri and Baidyanath Dham yatra on December 17. Starting from Jaipur, the train can be boarded at Agra, Nizamuddin, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly and Lucknow stations. The tour price of this train is Rs 7,530 per person.
Bookings for all the five packages have already started. Interested passengers can book the train online at www.irctctourism.com or visit the IRCTC offices at various locations.