The first Holiday Special Train from Mumbai to Goa carrying 700 passengers on board arrived at Tivim railway station to a rousing welcome by the Goa Tourism Department. Tourism Minister Shri. Dilip Parulekar led the State tourism ministry in welcoming passengers who stepped out at Tivim KRC Station when the train conceptualized as the ‘Premium Holiday Special Train’ chugged on to platform 1 at 8.30 am here on Tuesday morning.
The train has seven sleeper coaches, two coaches of three tier a/c and one coach of two tier a/c. It also includes one pantry car and two generator cars. Passengers who descended at Tivim station were presented with flowers at the hands of the Goa’s Tourism minister Shri. Parulekar. The Department of Tourism, Govt. of Goa presented the traditional aarti and offered sweets. A three member serenading troupe played some of Goa’s popular tunes and cheered the passengers on arrival at Tivim station.
Tourism minister Shri. Dilip Parulekar said, “Goa is privileged to host the first Holiday Special Train and will help bring tourists to Goa in large numbers.” He said, “I thank the Central government for considering Goa for this Special Holiday Train and we hope to have the frequency to Goa increased in due course of time.” Shri. Parulekar also said that he would be proceeding to Delhi soon to meet the Union Tourism minister and the Railway minister with a proposal for increasing the frequency of the Special Holiday Train to Goa thrice a week and on a regular basis in the New Year.
Considering the demand from tourists to be in Goa for the New Year celebrations, the tourism ministry in Goa is delighted that 700 passengers have availed of this facility. It has also expressed confidence that the train will help tourists to travel to Goa in style, comfort and inexpensively. Joseph George, GM, Business Division for the Konkan Railways who was present on the occasion said, “The train is the first of its kind for Goa and set out from Mumbai at 10.30 pm on Monday. It will leave Goa for Mumbai at 10.00 am on January 1, 2015.”
Shri George said, “The Special Holiday Train is one of the newer versions of LHB coaches introduced by Indian Railways.” Bookings for travel on this train are on-line only. If one recalls, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) and the IRCTC entered into a joint venture last week for promotion of the Holiday Special Train days after the Union ministry for Railways accorded its approval for running holiday special trains to Goa. The joint venture includes promotion of each other’s activities, training, and packages and so on. Tourism Minister Shri. Dilip Parulekar, had signed the MoU in this regard last week.
