10/1/2008 9:46:41 PM

The state government today signed an MoU with the ministry of railways to start a luxury tourist train, Punjab Di Train, in the state. The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, union minister of tourism and culture Ambika Soni and minister for tourism and culture, Punjab, Hira Singh Gabria.

The MoU was signed by principal secretary (Tourism) and chief executive officer of the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board Geetika Kalha and executive director of the Railway Board Ashok Kumar.

Badal said with the start of this luxury train, the unexploited tourism and travel potential in the state would get a further boost. The success of this venture would certainly encourage such other projects, offering world-class tourist packages and making travel in India a truly incredible experience.

The Chief Minister urged the railway minister to defer the Punjab’s share of Rs 20 lakh per trip of the luxury till the entire project becomes economically viable. Yadav assured Badal the state government’s share towards this project would be deferred for the next three years and also promised to start the train within a year, saying that the train would be manufactured at the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala.

Kalha said the proposed train would cover popular destinations in North India, including Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Patiala, Kurukshetra, Agra, Delhi and Jaipur in its seven-day itinerary. Its coaches would be equipped with 5 star facilities.

Chairman of the Railway Board K.C. Jena said these trains were the most comprehensive tourist package the industry had to offer today. A shining example was the Palace on Wheels operated by Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) in association with Indian Railways.