The Hindu : New Delhi News : Welcome aboard Lalu's Village-on-Wheels

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 30, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Welcome aboard Lalu's Village-on-Wheels

By Sandeep Joshi

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 29. Come October and tourists will be able to avail a cheaper option of visiting popular Indian destinations. Courtesy the Union Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad, the first Village-on-Wheels train is expected to run between Chennai and Gaya in the first week of October. The four-day tour package would cost just around Rs.400, covering the expense of return ticket and meals.

Coinciding with the forthcoming "shradhs" when people would be visiting Gaya in Bihar, it had been decided to run the train between Chennai and Gaya, said Railways sources, adding that it would be the maiden run of the Village-on-Wheels train and many more such trains would be introduced soon connecting places of tourism, cultural and religious importance.

The Village-on-Wheels would offer economy travel where the fare would cover the expense of the entire journey besides food and local transport at the places being visited, they said. For instance, the tentative total fare for a four-day travel package between Chennai and Gaya would be around Rs.400.

"Here Rs.200 will be charged for the to and fro tickets while passengers on-board would be given four meals during the day at `janata rates' -- Rs.5 for breakfast and Rs.10 each for lunch and dinner. So, the food expense during the travel would be around Rs.120 while Rs.60 will be charged for conveyance at Gaya that would be provided by the Railways," they added.

Passengers travelling by Village-on-Wheels will not have to worry about boarding and lodging as the trips would be planned in such a way that they remain in the train during night. So daytime would be reserved for local visit and sightseeing, while night would be spent in the train. The expense of local conveyance might vary from place to place while the duration of tour package would also vary, they added.

The Village-on-Wheels train would have a minimum of 18 coaches but the number of coaches could be extended to 24 to meet the extra rush of tourists. The scope of running these trains during other seasons like that of marriage and local festivals was also being examined, they added.

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