IRCTC to launch special tourist train for 5 states in NE

The Indian Railways' catering and tourism wing will soon launch a special tourist train to explore five North Eastern states under the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiave, according to news agency ANI. The duration of the journey will be of 14 nights and 15 days. The Dekho Apna Desh AC Deluxe Tourist Train will take passengers to places that are not just far from the crowd but also are untouched, unexplored and unimaginable, according to an IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) official quoted by the agency. A special tourist train for tourism in the North East is the first one of its kind to be operated by the IRCTC. The journey will start from Delhi's Safdarjung railway station and will cover five prominent states, including destinations like Guwahati, Kaziranga and Johnhart in Assam, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, Kohima in Nagaland, Una Koti, Agartala and Udaipur in Tripura, and Shillong and Cherapunji in Meghalaya. Ghaziabad, Tundla, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna are other boarding points. The journey will start from November 26. The fare begins from Rs 85,495 per person for AC two-tier and Rs 1,02,430 per person for first-class AC. Only fully vaccinated people can board the journey, the report said. The tour package has a Jungle Safari in Kaziranga National Park in Assam and a track on the Root Bridge in Meghalaya. Travellers will also get a chance to visit the Kamakhya temple in Assam and Tripur Sundari temple in Tripura. A journey over the river Brahmaputra and a tour of tea gardens in Assam have been planned for nature lovers. Una Koti sculptures, Ujjayanta Palace and Neermahal Palace in Tripura have been included for those fond of Indian history and heritage. As per eligibility based on the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Finance, government employees can avail LTC facility on this journey.