INDIA: The first Tiger Express tourist train was flagged off by Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu using teleconferencing facilities as part of the World Environment Day celebrations on June 5.
The Tiger Express is operated by Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corp using a dedicated rake of air-conditioned coaches with a vinyl wrap livery incorporating wildlife motifs. IR said it is its first ‘semi-luxury’ tourist train to have a dining car.
The five-day itinerary starts in Delhi and includes visits to the Dhuadhar waterfall, Kanha National Park which is home to tigers and barasingha deer and Bandhavgarh National Park which also has leopards. The trip includes three safari excursions and three nights in hotels.
Regular monthly services are scheduled to begin in October, and IRCTC is planning further services including an elephant themed equivalent.
