Buddhist circuit train between India and Nepal to run between October 19-26

Source: in.news.yahoo.com

New Delhi [India], Oct 18 (ANI): The Indian Railways will run its first Buddhist Circuit train between India and Nepal from October 19 to October 26.

The train journey will cover sites significant to Gautam Buddha’s life in both India and Nepal.

According to the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the Buddhist circuit train will cover important Buddhist destinations such as: Lumbini – the birthplace of Buddha, Bodhgaya – the place of enlightenment, Sarnath – the place of Buddha’s first sermon and Kushinagar – the place of Buddha’s Nirvana.

The train will originate and terminate at Safdarjung railway station in New Delhi.

The IRCTC is offering many attractive packages for tourists desiring to undertake the Buddhist Circuit tour. An AC first class package will cost Rs 1,23,900 per couple, while an AC two-tier package will cost Rs 1,01,430.

The packages also cover road transport in AC deluxe coaches, various locations and monuments visits, entrance fees, tourists accommodation during the visit, meals, services of tour managers and guides and travel insurance.

The new rake consists of four 1st AC coaches with as many as 96 seats, two 2nd AC coaches having 60 seats, two exclusive dining cars with a capacity of 64 guests in each and one pantry car for passengers.

The train will be covered with thematic vinyl wrap promoting national tourism.

The train will be equipped with personal digital lockers, foot massagers, shower, cubicles, separate sitting area with single-seated sofas, CCTV cameras, smoke detection alarm system for better safety.

There will be an onboard hygienic kitchen car and dining car facility. Passengers can choose from an assortment of fresh hot meals, including vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Packaged drinking water, tea and coffee will be available at all times.

While there will be no concession tickets for the train, children below five years of age have been exempted from the fare. Fifty per cent of the fare will be charged for children aged between five years to 12 years. (ANI)

Train Services Remain Suspended as Bihar Struggles to Recover from Monsoon Floods

Source: weather.com

As the floodwater recedes, daily life in the flood-affected Bihar is yet to regain normalcy. Train services on the Samastipur-Darbhanga section in Bihar remain suspended, as bridge number 16 between Hayaghat and Thalwar under Samastipur continues to face the floodwater threat.

Speaking to The Times of India, an East Central Railway official confirmed that 11 passenger trains have been cancelled so far, and at least eight more have been short-terminated. Safety staff members from the engineering and traffic wings have been deployed at multiple strategic points to keep tabs on the water levels at every bridge in Samastipur.

On Monday, the death toll in the state reached 127, while over 85 lakh people are estimated to be affected by the flooding. The massive deluge that hit Bihar earlier this month was caused by torrential rainfall in the northern parts of the state as well as the Terai region of Nepal. The Centre has continued to assist the state government, with PM Narendra Modi personally coordinating with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) data shows that, despite the late arrival of monsoon, Bihar has received slightly more than average rainfall in this season. The seasonal normal for Bihar is 496.3 mm. However, the state has received 513.3 mm until July 29. The forecasts show that Bihar is likely to receive isolated rainfall and thunderstorms in one or two places for the next few days.

Son avoided bus journeys, had an unconfirmed train ticket: Father of Agra bus accident victim

Source: hindustantimes.com

Among the 29 people killed in Monday’s bus accident on the Yamuna Expressway near Agra, were 29-year-old electrical engineer Hazoor Alam from Azadpur and Rajendra Singh from Uttam Nagar.

A two-tiered sleeper AC bus, on its way from Lucknow to Delhi, skidded off the Yamuna Expressway and plunged about 20 feet into a drain. The accident took place around 4.30am in Etmadpur, about 200km from Delhi, when the Uttar Pradesh Roadways bus broke through the safety railing at a high speed and fell into the Jharna Nala, which had about six to eight feet of water,police said.

Alam’s family members said he rarely took a bus, and one of his few bus rides turned into his life’s last journey.

A resident of Lal Bagh in northwest Delhi’s Azadpur, Alam was returning home after dropping his wife at her parental home in Lucknow. Alam was supposed to take a train to Delhi, but he could not get a confirmed train ticket, even in Tatkal category. Also, he had to resume his office duty on Monday, Alam’s family members said.

“My son usually preferred train journeys. The office of the solar equipment manufacturing company he worked with was in Green Park, which is almost 30km from our home. Alam always travelled by Metro. He even avoided DTC buses or using a bike,” Alam’s father Mansoor Ali said.

Alam’s family members now regret allowing him to travel to his in-laws’ house in Lucknow to drop his wife, Shagufta.

“I had told Alam to send his wife with my younger son, Saddam Hussain, or ask someone from his in-laws’ family to accompany her to Lucknow. But this time he was reluctant on sending his wife with someone else. Today, I regret not compelling him to not travel without a confirmed return train ticket,” Ali said.

Alam had last spoken to his brother, Fahimuddin, around 10pm Sunday and had asked him to bring his clothes to their brother-in-law’s home in Vaishali near Ghaziabad as he had planned to change there and leave directly to office. His AC bus journey was supposed to culminate at Anand Vihar ISBT, the brother said.

According to Fahimuddin, nobody in his family was aware of his brother’s death until he called on Alam’s phone to see if he had reached Delhi. Fahimuddin found the phone switched off.

“My brother had asked me to reach Vaishali before 8am. But I woke up late and called him to inform him that I will be late. But his phone was switched off. I then contacted our brother-in-law who told me that my brother had not reached there,” Fahimuddin said.

Fahimuddin said his parents got worried when a relative told them about the bus accident in Agra. They sent their two sons and a relative to the accident spot in Agra and the hospitals where the injured and dead passengers were taken.

Alam’s brothers and relative reached the hospital in Agra and heard a staff member reading out his name from the list of dead passengers. The eldest of five siblings, Alam was also the main earning member of his family. He had completed his electrical engineering from a polytechnic in northwest Delhi in 2014. He and Shagufta had married in November 2017.

IRCTC Buddhist circuit tourist train: Explore destinations like Gaya, Nalanda, Lumbini in luxury; see details

Source: financialexpress.com

IRCTC Buddhist Circuit tourist train: This Indian railways tourism package offers a luxurious comfortable journey! According to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, with its exquisite setting and wonderful services, the Buddhist Circuit tourist train ensures that passengers travel in absolute comfort. The new Buddhist Circuit Tourist train, launched last year, covers various key pilgrimage destinations across India and Nepal that are associated with the life of Gautam Buddha on an 8-day journey.

These pilgrimage places include Gaya, Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Varanasi, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Lumbini, Shravasti and Agra. Therefore, in case if you are planning to explore these destinations this year, these are the departure dates for the journey: September 21, October 5, 19, November 2, 16, 30, and December 14, 28.

Some of the salient features of the new Buddhist Circuit Tourist train are:

  • 4 First AC coaches, 2 Second AC coaches, 2 power cars, 1 Third AC coach for staff and one pantry car
  • Air-conditioned restaurant cars
  • Safety lockers for guests
  • Vinyl wrapped exteriors depicting monuments of India
  • CCTV cameras, fire detection and suppression system. passenger announcement system
  • Coffee vending machine, microwave oven, wine chiller, Baine marie
  • Automatic dish washer and plate dispensers, pantry car with electric hot plate, deep fat friers, deep freezers
  • Shower rooms and modular fittings in the toilets

As per the package rates, the journey on AC 1st Class will cost Rs 11,760 per night and Rs 82,260 for full tour (7 nights). While journey on AC 2nd Class will cost Rs 9,620 per night and Rs 67,310 for full tour. The tour package includes journey by exclusive air-conditioned train, road transport by AC coaches, sightseeing, accommodation, meals, English/Hindi speaking tour escort, entrance fees of monuments/sightseeing trips as well as travel insurance .

However, the package does not include visa fees, items of personal nature such as laundry, medicines, alcoholic drinks etc., road transfers to and from Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station, hotel stay in Delhi before and after the trip, air ticket, visa charges etc., fees for still/flash video camera at the monuments and other places as well as any other service that is not mentioned in the package.

On cancellation before 45 days or more before the commencement of the trip, 10% of the total cost is charged. Cancellation from 44 to 15 days, 25% is deducted; 14 to 7 days, 50% is deducted and within the period of 7 days or before the scheduled date of the departure, no refund is granted.