Third IRCTC private train to run between Varanasi, Indore from 20 February; offers tour packages covering religious places on route

New Delhi: The IRCTC is all set to introduce the third private train in the railway network and its first night service Kashi Mahakal Express on the Varanasi-Indore route from 20 February, the public sector unit (PSU) said on Wednesday. The other two private trains run by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) are the Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas and the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas. The superfast air-conditioned Kashi Mahakal Express will be launched on 16 February. The IRCTC will also offer tour packages covering religious sites on the train’s route, according to a statement issued by the railway. [caption id=“attachment_4148171” align=“alignleft” width=“379”] Representational image. News18[/caption] “Being the first long-distance overnight journey train, IRCTC has geared up to provide a host of facilities and services to passengers, including high-quality vegetarian food, onboard bedrolls and housekeeping services and onboard security services. “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. On the lines of the Tejas trains of the IRCTC, booking for the Kashi Mahakal 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. Current booking will be available to passengers at the station after the first reservation chart is prepared, four hours to five minutes before scheduled departure. Passengers will be automatically refunded the full fare on cancellation of both waitlisted and confirmed e-tickets. “The train will connect Jyotirlinga-Omkareshwar (near Indore), Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain) and Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi), besides connecting the industrial and educational hub of Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. The train will operate thrice a week between Varanasi and Indore via Ujjain, Sant Hiradnagar (Bhopal), Bina, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow/Prayagraj and Sultanpur,” the IRCTC said. The tour packages will cover Kashi, Omkareshwar, Mahakaleshwar, Bhopal, Sanchi, Ujjain, Bhimbetka, Ayodhya and Prayag, according to the statement.