Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off IRCTC's 'Mahakaal Express' through a video link on Sunday.
The Prime Minister is on a day visit to his parliamentary constituency.
Mahakaal Express is the third private train in the railways network and will run on the Varanasi-Indore route from February 20.
The first overnight private train in the country will connect three Jyotirling pilgrim centres of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and Ujjain and Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh. The IRCTC will also offer tour packages covering religious sites on the train's route, according to a statement issued by the railway PSU.
The Kashi Mahakaal Express will operate three days in a week and it will be a bi-weekly service through the Sultanpur-Lucknow route and a weekly service via the Prayagraj route.
"Being the first long-distance overnight journey train, IRCTC has geared up to provided a host of facilities and services to passengers, including high-quality vegetarian food, onboard bedrolls and housekeeping services and onboard security services."
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"Besides, every passenger travelling on the train will be covered with a complimentary travel insurance of Rs 10 lakhs during the journey," the IRCTC said.
Once the new train starts its regular run from this week, the Varanasi-Indore Kashi Mahakaal Express will depart from Varanasi at 2.45 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday to reach Indore at 9.40 a.m. on Wednesday and Friday.
Similarly, the train will start from Indore at 10.55 a.m. every Wednesday and Friday and will reach Varanasi next morning at 06.00 a.m.. This train will have stoppages at Ujjain, Sant Hirdaram Nagar, Bina, Jhansi, Kanpur and Sultanpur stations in both directions.
On the lines of the Tejas trains of the IRCTC, booking for the Kashi Mahakaal Express can be done only on the IRCTC website and its mobile app 'Irctc Rail Connect'. The train will have an advance reservation period of 120 days and only general and foreign tourist quota. One-way journey from Varnasi to Indore in Kashi Mahakaal Express will cost Rs 1,951 inclusive of four meals.
PM Modi also dedicated to the nation the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Memorial Centre and unveiled a 63-feet tall statue of the RSS ideologue.
(With inputs from IANS)
