Rajasthan's first pvt heritage train to chug on Nov 29

Jaipur, Nov 17 (UNI) Rajasthan's first privately-managed heritage train run on a steam engine, will wind its way from Jodhpur to Osian on November 29.

The train will be run on an experimental basis in an effort to woo more tourists to this desert state. The first journey will carry 60 tourists. The train comprises two coaches and a pantry car along with a steam engine. The coaches have been brought from Sikandarabad.

The same steam engine was used in the superhit Bollywood movie 'Gadar'.

According to railway sources, a private company called Jodhpur Safari Club has taken this heritage train on rent for Rs two lakh for a day from the Indian Railways.

The train has been decked up in the traditional Rajasthani decor.

The coal for the steam engine will be brought from Rewari in Haryana.

The train will cover a distance of 65 km from Jodhpur to Osian and will return along the same route.

According to sources, there are plans to run this steam train from Jodhpur to Jaislamer in the future.

Incidentally, at least 20 years back, metre guage trains with steam engines used to run at several places in Rajasthan. In 2003, Railways had held a race between diesel engine and steam engine from Jaipur to Phulera.

According to sources, Bollywood actor Sunny Deol was shown travelling in this steam engine train in the movie 'Gadar' and travelled 40 km from Lalgarh to Kolayat in Bikaner district on broad guage.

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