Date:03/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/03/stories/2008100355340500.htm

New Delhi

Luxury train for North India

Special Correspondent

Punjab Govt. ties up with Railways

NEW DELHI: To promote luxury tourism in northern India, the Union Ministry of Tourism has joined hands with Indian Railways and Punjab government to launch a “Palace on Wheels” tourist train .

With an assistance of Rs. 7.25 crore from the Ministry , the train will cover popular destinations like Amritsar, Dharamshala, Anandpur Sahib, Patiala, Kurukshetra, Jaipur, Agra and Delhi in a week-long itinerary.

The train is likely to take two years to take to the tracks.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed here on Wednesday between the Railways and Punjab government in the presence of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.