The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) has introduced Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train Package, a special service offering tourists an opportunity to visit major destinations and historical pilgrimage centres in the southwestern parts of India.
“The package has been launched in connection with Government of India initiatives “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” and “Dekho Apna Desh” to promote domestic tourism. The train tour connecting prominent leisure as well as cultural destinations is scheduled to commence its journey from Kochuveli on June, 17, 2023,” said Railway officials at a press meet here recently.
Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train with state-of-the-art facilities has AC 3-tier and sleeper class compartments. It can accommodate 754 tourists and the package will cover Mysuru, Hampi, Shirdi, Shani Shingnapur Nashik and Goa before coming back to Kochuveli. The package is for 9 nights and 10 days and the tourists can board the train from Kochuveli, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Thrissur, Ottappalam, Palakkad, Podanur, Erode and Salem and deboard from Mangaluru, Kannur, Kozhikode, Shoranur, Thrissur, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam, Kollam and Kochuveli.
The first halt destination of the train will be Mysuru where the tourists will visit St Philomina Church, Mysore Palace, Brindavan Garden, Chamundi Hills and Rail Museum. The next destination will be Hospet from where the tourists will be visiting the historical sites of Hampi and from there they can proceed to the Shridi temple and Shani shingnapur. During the halt in Nashik, destinations including Triambakeshwar and Panchwati will be covered. The last destination of the train will be Goa, where the tourists can visit Calangute Beach, Vagator, Basilica of Born Jesus and Se Cathedral.
The train will finally return back to Kochuveli on June 26, 2023. All coaches have security staff and state-of-the-art CCTV cameras for ensuring the safety of passengers. Apart from train travel, accommodation in AC hotels for overnight stays, road transfers, meals, service of tour escort and travel insurance are also included in the package priced ₹18,350 per person for standard category on sleeper class and ₹28,280 for comfort category on 3-tier AC.
