New Delhi: Country’s first ever train to be operated between Coimbatore and Shirdi by a private operator, under the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ scheme of the Indian Railways, was flagged off here on Tuesday. The train will leave Coimbatore North on Tuesdays at 6 PM and reach Sai Nagar in Shirdi at 7.25 AM on Thursday.
First ever Bharat Gaurav Train has been flagged off on Coimbatore North to Sainagar Shirdi route today at 6:00 PM! The train will cover several historical destinations on the route while giving the passengers an insight into the cultural heritage of the country. pic.twitter.com/IR55aYzyN0
— Ministry of Tourism (@tourismgoi) June 14, 2022
The 5-day round trip from Coimbatore to Shirdi and back, will cover various iconic destinations. The onward trip stoppages include Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Yelahanka, Dharmavaram, Mantralayam Road, Wadi and the return trip stoppages include Wadi, Dharmavaram, Yelahanka, Salem, Erode and Tiruppur. At Mantralayam Road Station, the train would halt for 5 hours to facilitate darshan at Mantralayam temple, during the onward journey from Coimbatore. The Bharat Gaurav Train from Coimbatore to Shirdi consists of 20 coaches with one 1A coach, three 2A coaches, eight 3A coaches, five SL coaches, one Pantry Car and two SLR coaches.
According to the national transporter, the Coimbatore-Shirdi Bharat Gaurav Train will offer a soothing experience, PA system playing devotional songs and mantras, refurbished coaches, etc. Besides, the train will also have round the clock cleaning staff. With this, the Southern Railway has become the first zone of the Indian Railways network to get the first registered service provider under the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ scheme and commence the operations of the maiden service from Coimbatore North to Sainagar Shirdi. The fixed revenue is Rs 3.34 crore per annum and the variable haulage charge is Rs 38.22 lakhs for the 5-day trip.
