PM Modi flags off Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train for NRIs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday remotely flagged off the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train for the Indian diaspora.
The train will travel to various tourism and religious destinations across India over three weeks. This initiative is part of the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana of the Ministry of External Affairs.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Express is a special state-of-the-art tourist train, exclusively designed and built for the Indian diaspora, specifically for the age group between 45 and 65 years.
Starting from its launch day, January 9, the train will visit multiple destinations across the nation, including prominent tourist and religious sites, over the span of three weeks.
The departure date of the train has been strategically chosen to commemorate January 9, 2025, the day when Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa to India in 1915.
The train departs from Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi, with the following route: New Delhi – Ayodhya – Patna – Gaya – Varanasi – Mahabalipuram – Rameswaram – Madurai – Kochi – Goa – Ekta Nagar (Kevadia) – Ajmer – Pushkar – Agra. The train can accommodate 156 passengers.
To connect the Indian diaspora to their roots, this tour is organized by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
Indian Embassies worldwide invited applications from participants, giving preference to Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) from low-income categories who might not have the means to visit India on their own.
A statement from the ministry mentioned that it will cover all expenses for the train tour, including 90 percent of the return airfare for eligible participants from their countries of origin to India. The travelers are required to bear only 10 percent of their return airfares. Accommodation will be provided at 4-star or similar category hotels according to the tour itinerary.
