Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flagged off Gujarat's first heritage train that will run from Ekta Nagar to Ahmedabad, bringing tourists to the Statue of Unity, the memorial to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The Steam Heritage Special Train was inaugurated on the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary.
"The train is a blend of heritage and modern facilities," PM Modi said, flagging off the train during Ekta Divas celebrations in Kevadiya.
Steam Heritage Special Train: Features
The Heritage train has three coaches and will be hauled by an electric engine that has been designed to look like a steam locomotive. It has foggers to produce exhaust fumes and a sound system to produce the sound of a steam locomotive.
The three coaches have 48 seats each and tourists can enjoy a cup of tea and snacks in the 28-seater AC restaurant dining car with teak wood dining tables and two-seater cushioned sofas. All the coaches have teak wood interiors designed at the Integral Coach Factory at Perambur, Chennai.
Vadodara has a rich heritage of railways with the first attempt to run rail services being made in 1862 by Khanderao Gaekwad, the then ruler of Baroda State. Back then the trains were hauled by oxen on a eight-mile track between Dabhoi and Miyagam. Locomotives were used regularly on the route by 1880.
Steam Heritage Special Train: Fare And Train Timings
The heritage train will ply as a weekly service on Sundays from November 5. The frequency will be increased after taking into account the response to the service.
The train will depart Ahmedabad at 6:10 a.m. and reach Ekta Nagar, the railway station at Kevadia at 9:50 a.m. Kevadia is home to the Statue of Unity in the reservoir of the Sardar Sarovar dam.
On the return journey, the train will depart from Ekta Nagar at 8:23 p.m. and reach Ahmedabad at five minutes past midnight. The train will not have any stoppage during the 182-km journey between Ekta Nagar and Ahmedabad.
The fare for one-way journey will be Rs 885.
The departure time of the heritage train allows tourists to plan their return journey after enjoying the light and sound show and other late evening events at the Statue of Unity.
India has a number of heritage trains, including the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Kangra Valley Railway, Kalka-Shimla Railway, Matheran Hill Railway among others.
Also Read: National Unity Day 2023: Date, History, Significance, Wishes And More About 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’
(With PTI inputs)
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