Varanasi, PM Narendra Modi’s constituency, is among the pilgrimage centres included in Rail Budget 2016-17 that will see enhanced passenger amenities and beautification of its stations. Besides, the budget also has a mention of Mahamana Express with modern refurbished coaches that was flagged off by the PM during his visit to the city on January 22.
While presenting the railway budget on Thursday, railway minister Suresh Prabhu proposed to take up the provision of passenger amenities and beautification on stations at pilgrimage centres including Ajmer, Amritsar, Bihar Sharif, Chengannur, Dwarka, Gaya, Haridwar, Mathura, Nagapattinam, Nanded, Nasik, Pali, Parasnath, Puri, Tirupati, Vailankanni, Varanasi and Vasco on priority. The railways also intends to run Aastha circuit trains to connect important pilgrimage centres.
Named after the founder of Banaras Hindu University, Madan Mohan Malaviya, the tri-weekly superfast Mahamana Express promises to cover a distance of 800-km between Varanasi and New Delhi in 13 hours 50 minutes. It is equipped with refurbished coaches with improved passenger amenities and aesthetically appealing furnishings.