Railways to launch special Statue of Unity train from March
What's the story
Five months after the world's tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian Railways is set to launch a special train service for tourists visiting the statue from March 4. The special train will be part of a larger tour package that is being offered by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC). Details follow.
Tour
Highlights of the tour package being offered
The special train will run under the 'Bharat Darshan Tour Scheme' - the IRCTC's seven nights and eight days tour package. The journey will commence from Chandigarh and will cover pilgrimages like Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga near Indore, Shirdi Sai Baba Darshan, Trimbakeshwar in Nashik, and Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Aurangabad. It will also stop at Vadodara for a conducted tour of the Statue of Unity.
Quote
The tour is a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Government
"The package has been designed to pay tribute to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The Statue of Unity is situated on the river island called Sadhu Bet...It is the world's tallest statue at a height of 182 metres," said a government press release.
Facilities
Details about facilities and pricing
The tour package will have multiple boarding points, namely, Chandigarh, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, Delhi Cantt, Rewari, Alwar and Jaipur. It will include a train journey in non-AC sleeper class, and will provide hall/dormitory accommodation, morning refreshments, road transportation, pure vegetarian meals etc. The tour package has been priced at Rs. 7,560 per person, and can be booked on the IRCTC tourism website or the IRCTC mobile app.
Information
IRCTC offers several other tours under its 'Bharat Darshan' scheme
Apart from the Statue of Unity tour package, IRCTC offers several other tours under the 'Bharat Darshan Tour Scheme'. You can check other tour packages under the scheme on the IRCTC tourism website, or on the IRCTC mobile app under the Bharat Darshan tab.