Coimbatore Is The First Station On The 'Bharat Gaurav' Rail Route
Update: 2022-06-15 20:15 IST
Coimbatore Is The First Station On The 'Bharat Gaurav' Rail Route
The 'Bharat Gaurav' train service between Coimbatore and Shirdi was inaugurated at the Coimbatore North Railway Station on Tuesday, marking the country's first of its type. Private companies operate the Bharat Gaurav express trains, which have the right to utilize the Indian Railways' rail infrastructure.
According to sources, the initiative's goal is to use these trains to show off India's rich cultural legacy and stunning historical sites to the people of India and the rest of the globe.
The train will feature 20 carriages with a total capacity of 1,092 people. It will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday from Coimbatore North Railway Station. It will make stops in Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Bengaluru Yelahanka, and Dharmavaram before arriving in Mantralayam on Wednesday at 11 a.m. It will proceed its journey at 4.p.m. after a five-hour stop at Mantralayam and travel towards Wadi, arriving at the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station at 7.25 a.m. on Thursday.
The train will depart from the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station at 7.25 a.m. on Friday and arrive at the Coimbatore North Railway Station by 12 p.m. on Saturday following a day 's stop in Shirdi.
The loco pilots and guards would come from Indian Railways, according to a railway official. The private entity providing the service would handle reservations, tariff setting, and maintenance. The official continued that not just private enterprises, but also the governments of Karnataka and Odisha have expressed interest in running such trains to encourage tourism.
It further added that the Southern Railway will receive a fixed annual revenue of 3.34 crore from the operation of this train.
Meanwhile, numerous railway workers unions slammed the decision. Members of the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union organised a demonstration in Coimbatore and Erode. Members of the Dakshin Railway Employees' Union organised a demonstration at Tiruppur, shouting anti-Bharat Gaurav slogans. Private businesses, according to the unions, were charging outrageous travel fees.