New Delhi: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the inaugural run of the Tiger Trail Circuit Train on the occasion of the World Environment Day on Sunday and promised more such initiatives.

Prabhu, who was on tour to Mumbai, flagged off this train through video conferencing, a railway spokesman said here.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that Indian Railways is fully committed to address environmental issues and will launch more tourist circuit trains like elephant circuit, desert circuit etc, an official release said here.

This train with 5 days/6 nights itinerary will start from Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station and travel via Katani, to Jabalpur, Bandhavgadh, and Kanha in Madhya Pradesh.

The semi-luxury train will take the guests onboard to the world-famous Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks as well as to Dhuadhar Waterfall in Bedhaghat near Jabalpur, said the spokesman.

Several dignitaries, including Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi and Congress MP Janardhan Dwivedi, were present at the station here on this occasion.

The launch of the Tiger Express on World Environment Day is to highlight the significance of environment in our lives, said the spokesman, adding that the train will be operated by Indian Railway’s Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

Highlights of Tiger Express:

The train is named Tiger Express as the train will attract tourists to Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks which are famous for their tigers.

It will be a 5 days-6-nights travel package that includes three Tiger Safaris and a trip to Dhuadhar Waterfall in Bedhaghat near Jabalpur. The AC-first class package will cost Rs 49,500 for single occupancy, Rs 45,500 for double, Rs 44,900 for triple and Rs 39,500 for a child and an extra bed. The AC 2-tier prices begin from Rs 33,500 to Rs 43,500.

The above prices are for Indian nationals. Foreign tourists will be charged additional Rs 4000 per person for the Safari booking at Bandhavgarh and Kanha.

The package includes accommodation in air-conditioned rooms of three-star hotels for 3 nights – one in Bhandavgarh and two in Kahna, sightseeing, travel by road in AC cars, buffet meals, safaris, travelling within the city and insurance.

This is the first semi-luxury train on a tourist circuit to have a dining car. The train also has a designated shower cubicle for its passengers.

The bookings for regular monthly trips will commence from October 2016.