Indian Railways special Khadi Express train: Indian Railways dedicates a special train to Mahatma Gandhi! A Khadi Express train tracing the places where Gandhiji had stayed during his struggle for India’s independence will be started in the next two months for passengers. Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) was quoted in a PTI report saying that the special train dedicated to the Father of the Nation will begin operations in two months and will consist of eight coaches. The coaches will include one compartment which will showcase the exhibitions and paintings of Gandhiji, displaying his lifestyle and messages.
According to him, the KVIC will also sell khadi at different stations of the journey with one coach dedicated for the sale of products. The special train is expected to halt for one or two days at various places where Gandhiji had stayed during his struggle for India’s independence from the British rule. The journey will start from Porbandar and the train will stop at Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Mumbai, Wardha and several other such locations. He added that they are targeting at least 20 stations for the entire journey of the train. The primary criteria for the stations is that the location should be a place which Gandhiji visited and where the railway network has the facility to park the train.
In view of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the KVIC had written to Indian Railways for running an express train to exhibit khadi products. The Khadi Express will also consist of a coach showing a live demo of how khadi is made and spun using a charkha or spinning wheel. Khadi became synonymous with Gandhiji after he began promoting the spinning of the handwoven fabric as a means of rural employment among Indians, instead of using cloth manufactured industrially in Britain in the 1920s.
Meanwhile last month, a special tourist train named ‘Samanta Express’ was announced by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) which is scheduled to commence its journey on February 14 from the city of Nagpur. This Indian Railways’ special tourist train covers important places associated with the life of the Chief Constitution maker, Dr B R Ambedkar.