Modi flags off ‘special’ Pravasi Bharatiya Express for Indian diaspora
The Pravasi Bharatiya Express is a special tourist train exclusively designed for the Indian Diaspora. The train was flagged off by PM Modi on Thursday in Odisha.
PRIME Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train for the Indian diaspora, in Odisha's Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The train was flagged off on January 9, 2025 “to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on this date in the year 1915," the government said.
All about Pravasi Bharatiya Express
The Pravasi Bharatiya Express is a special state-of-the-art tourist train exclusively designed for the Indian Diaspora.
Who can travel on Pravasi Bharatiya Express: 'Person of Indian Origin' (PIOs) only in the age group of 45-65 years can travel on the train. However, “the preference being accorded to PIOs belonging to the low-income category who would otherwise not be able to afford to visit India on their own,” according to the Embassy of India in Switzerland and The Principality of Liechtenstein.
The train would have a maximum capacity for156 passengers.
Journey on Pravasi Bharatiya Express: The train will travel to multiple destinations of prominent touristic interest and religious importance all over India for 3 weeks. It will begin its journey on January 9, 2025, starting from the Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi.
This specially conducted tour is being organised under the Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana (PTDY) scheme of the Ministry of External Affairs, in collaboration with the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), to connect the Indian Diaspora to their roots.
Route of Pravasi Bharatiya Express: According to the embassy, the Pravasi Bharatiya Express will travel to Ayodhya, Patna, Gaya, Varanasi, Mahabalipuram, Rameshwaram, Madurai, Kochi, Goa, Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Ajmer, Pushkar and Agra.
Ticket price: The Embassy said that the Indian government will bear all expenses for the train tour, besides also bearing 90% of the return airfares for the eligible PIOs from their countries of origin to India.
PIOs will need to bear only 10% of their return airfares to avail of this scheme, which is to be launched by the ministry on January 9, 2025.
