Bharat Gaurav trains can be operated by pvt sector and IRCTC: Railway minister

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday announced that after passenger, freight segments, Indian Railways will begin its third segment of trains for tourism, known as the Bharat Gaurav trains. The trains will be theme-based, showcasing India's culture, heritage.

For this, around 190 trains have been allocated. He also added that these trains can be operated by both private sector and IRCTC. The fare to be decided by tour operators. Vaishnaw said that 3,033 coaches have been identified.

"We'll start taking applications from today. We've received good response. Stakeholders will modify & run the train & Railways will help in maintenance, parking and other facilities," Vaishnaw said addressing the press conference.

The minister said that state governments like Odisha, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have shown interest in these trains.

Recently, the Indian Railways had announced it will operate a few special trains around Christmas break and New Year in view of an increased rush around the festive season. Passengers can check the detailed schedule and train timings for the additional trains on the official website of the Indian Railways.

All Covid-19 protocols including wearing masks, sanitisation, social distancing and others, as issued by the state and central government will be strictly followed inside the trains and at railway platforms, the release added.

Earlier the national carrier had announced the resumption of cooked meals by IRCTC on all train journeys. The decision was taken as a step towards achieving the pre-pandemic normalcy in view of Covid-19 cases having significantly declined in India.