Kaziranga gets more accessible for Bengal tourists with new train

KOLKATA: Now, tourists planning to visit the Kaziranga National Park in Assam from Kolkata will no longer have to detrain at Guwahati and then choose another mode of transport. Minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain, on Tuesday, ceremonially flagged-off the Kolkata-Silghat Express that will have stoppages at Amoni and Jakhalabandha.

While, Jakhalabandha is barely 19 km from Kaziranga, Amoni is about 43 km from the world’s largest habitat for one-horned Rhinoceros. The weekly train will start running from Kolkata from January 7 and Silghat a day later.

During the programme, Gohain also said that survey of a new bridge's construction across River Brahmaputra near Silghat is nearing completion. Once completed, it can be considered for inclusion in the budget, the minister added.

Flagging off the train signaled better communication from middle-Assam to the rest of the country.

“The minister also spoke of trains towards Delhi and south India at a later stage. This will be a big boost for the region. The Kolkata-Silghat Express has 19 new state-of-the-art LHB coaches with modern for passengers. The 13182 Silghat–Kolkata Express will leave from Silghat at 12.30 pm to reach Kolkata at 12.50 pm the next day. The train from Kolkata (13181) will start at 9.05 am to reach Silghat at 9.55 am the next day. The train will have an AC 2-tier, four AC-3 tier, eight sleeper class and four general second class coaches apart from two luggage cum generator vans,” a railway official said.