PM Modi set to flag off Pravasi Bharatiya Express: Know everything about the special tourist train

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, i.e., January 8, is set to flag off the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train designed for the Indian diaspora, from New Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station.

The launch of this special train will come in the backdrop of the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention, which will kick off in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, as per a report by news agency PTI. 

The Prime Minister will also address the non-resident Indians (NRIs) at a convention in Odisha - aimed at promoting the culture and heritage of the state. Notably, the NRIs have arrived in India from across 50 countries. 

Features of the special train 

The Pravasi Bharatiya Express is a special state-of-the-art tourist train, exclusively designed and built for the Indian diaspora- aged between 45 and 65 years. The train will travel to multiple destinations, including prominent religious and tourist places, across the country for a period of three weeks- aiming at showcasing the nation's richness in the tourism sector. 

Accomodating 156 passengers, the train will travel to prominent destinations including- Ayodhya, Patna, Gaya, Varanasi, Mahabalipuram, Rameswaram, Madurai, Kochi, Goa, Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Ajmer, Pushkar, and Agra.

The three-week-long tour is being organised under the Ministry of External Affairs ‘Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana’ (PTDY) scheme, in collaboration with the Indian Railways.