10 more Garib Raths to run in 2008-09: Lalu

New Delhi, Feb 26: Continuing with his initiative to provide comfortable travel to the common man, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today announced the introduction of another fleet of 10 air-conditioned Garib Raths, connecting more cities in the country.

The decision to provide air-conditioned rail travel at reasonable rates was announced in the 2005-06 Railway Budget but was implemented in the next fiscal. Buoyed by the popularity of the Garib Rath which even the middle classes have taken to in a big way, the Minister said they would greatly help in providing a comfortable journey to all classes of society.

While substituting the weekly Nizamuddin-Dehrarun Garib Rath, announced in the previous budget, with the Jammu Tawi-Kathgodmam Garib Rath, the Minister said of the remaining nine, six would run three times a week and three Garib Raths would be bi-weekly.

Six tri-weekly Garib Raths are-- Jaipur-Chandigarh via Rewari-Bhiwani, Secunderabad-Vishakhapatnam Express, Varnasi-Delhi, Bangalore-Kochuveli, Yasvantpur-Puducherry and Pune-Nagpur.

Three bi-weekly Garib Raths will be between Ranchi-Delhi, Jabalpur-Mumbai and Delhi-Jaynagar via Patna.

UNI