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What is the News?
Indian Railways has announced the introduction of theme-based, tourist circuit trains named ‘Bharat Gaurav’ Trains.
What is the aim of Bharat Gaurav Trains?
Aim: To showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world.
What are the key features of this initiative?
Indian Railways has allocated 190 trains for this initiative.
Eligibility: These trains could be taken on a lease by any private player, state government or Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation(IRCTC) and run them on theme-based circuits.
Themes: The service provider can decide themes like Guru Kripa trains for covering Sikh culture’s important places, Ramayana trains for destinations connected with Lord Shri Ram among others.
Registration Fee: For interested players, the process has been made easy with one-step, transparent online registration. The registration fee will be Rs 1 lakh.
The operator has the freedom to decide the route, the halts, the services provided, and most importantly, the tariff.
Tenure of Lease: The tenure of right to use is a minimum of two years and a maximum of 10 years.
Source: This post is based on the article “Railway Minister announces introduction of ‘Bharat Gaurav Trains” published in PIB on 24th Nov 2021.
