Hyderabad: Amidst the Dasara holiday season, Indian Railways will on Sunday introduce a new bi-weekly express between Secunderabad and Vasco-Da-Gama to meet the growing tourist demand. The train also has a halt at the other tourist destination of Hospet.
The biweekly departs from Secunderabad on Wednesdays and Fridays. The return journey from Vasco da Gama would be on Thursday and Saturday. The likely fare for 1st AC is Rs 2,860, 2 AC Rs 1,700, 3 AC Rs 1,185, 3-tier economy Rs 1,100, Sleeper Rs 440 and general ticket Rs 150-200. Bookings for the train are open, officials said.
The train starts at 10.05 am from Secunderabad and reaches Vasco-Da-Gama the next day at 5.45 am, completing the journey in 19 hours 40 minutes. This return journey from Vasco-Da-Gama station will start at 9 am and reach Secunderabad the next day at 6.20 am.
The train will stop at Secunderabad, Kacheguda, Shadnagar, Jadcharla, Mahbubnagar, Gadwal, Kurnool City, Dhone, Guntakal, Bellary, Hospet, Koppal, Gadag, Hubballi, Dharwad, Londa, Castle Rock, Kulem, Sanvordem and Madgaon. The stoppage at most stations would be between two and five minutes.
Several intending travellers expressed their joy as the schedule is perfectly designed for the working class as it will reach the destination in the morning hours.
Till now, there was only one train a week from Secunderabad to the tourist paradise. The weekly-once Goa-bound train would start with 10 coaches from Secunderabad and reach Guntakal, where another 10 coaches from Tirupati would join it. Apart from this, another train runs from Kacheguda via Guntakal.
