To promote rail tourism especially for the pilgrims, railways will launch six pilgrim special tourist trains from October 25.
The tourist trains for different circuits are named as Sukhamngalam Yatra, Dham Special with Dakshin Darshan through Lucknow, Dham Special with Dakshin Darshan through Jaipur, Shikharji Circuit Yatra, Jyotirling Yatra and Takht Parikrama.
Indian Railways Corporation & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a PSU of railways has been entrusted with the running of all the six pilgrim special tourist trains. "Every train will have a separate pantry car to cater to the tourists," a senior Railway Ministry official said.
Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda in his budget speech had promised to run a tourist train covering pilgrim and tourist spots in Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Gowda has also announced its decision to run tourist trains in various pilgrim circuits like Devi Circuit, Jyotirling Circuit, Jain Circuit, Christian Circuit, Muslim/Sufi Circuit, Sikh Circuit, Buddhist Circuit and Famous Temple Circuit.
Railways has been giving special emphasis on promotion of rail tourism. A few more such pilgrim circuit tourist trains, in consonance with the Budget announcement of the Railways, are also being planned to launch by this year-end.
