Special Tourist Train

• 20 Jun 2024

Why in News?

According to the sources, The Uttarakhand Tourism Department has partnered with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to operate a dedicated tourist train bound for south India.

Key Points

• The unique train approved by the Central government, called Kedar Badri Kartik (Murugan) Koil Yathirai, will commence its inaugural journey with 165 travelers from Madurai in Tamil Nadu to Rishikesh.
• All 165 passengers boarding the train have been given special tour packages for 12 days and nights.
  • It includes visits to the newly found tourist place Kartik Swami Temple in Rudraprayag, Badrinath, and Kedarnath.
  • The tour package includes complete lodging and boarding facilities for the tourists.
• The Uttarakhand Tourism aims at attracting more pilgrims from the south, especially Chennai, to associate them with Kartik Swami Temple, a newly developed important tourist destination in Rudraprayag district.
  • According to the belief lord Kartikeya, son of Shiva, came here with his parents and handed out his bones to the father and flesh to the mother.
  • It’s said these bones are present in the temple. In north India, this is the lone temple of lord Kartikeya, known as the deity Murugan in South India.
• The Uttarakhand Tourism Department has collaborated with IRCTC to operate special trains from various regions of India, particularly Western and South India.
  • Two such special trains called Manaskhand Express were launched from Pune in March and April, 2024 to attract tourists from Maharashtra and other states in the west to the Kumaon regions.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)

• It is a Mini Ratna Category-I (conferred in 2008) Central Public Sector Enterprise that is wholly-owned by and is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways.
• It is a registered enterprise and its corporate office is situated at New Delhi.
• IRCTC was incorporated in September 1999 as an extended arm of the Indian Railways to upgrade, professionalize and manage the catering and hospitality services at stations, on trains and other locations.
• The firm currently operates in 4 business segments namely, Internet ticketing, Catering, Packaging Drinking Water, and Travel and Tourism.
• It is the only entity that is authorized by Indian Railways to provide catering services to railways, online railway tickets and packaged drinking water at railway stations and trains in the country.
  • This gives it advantages in increasing market share in e-ticketing, packaged drinking water, and in e-catering.