The Fairy Queen, the oldest surviving functional steam engine in the world, is once again ready to haul a heritage train from India's capital New Delhi to Sariska National Park in Rajasthan state.
This train, which is a great attraction among steam engine lovers across the globe, will run between Delhi Cantt. Station and Alwar from October 23 this year to March 12, 2011. However, the Northern Railway division of Indian Railways plans to run an additional trip on October 9 during the Commonwealth Games.
In this heritage travel circuit, the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) will provide a comprehensive two-day tourist package including on-ground catering, boarding, lodging transfer facilities, visit to Sariska National Park, cultural programmes, among other things.
The Fairy Queen was commissioned in 1855 with the then-East Indian Railways. It was christened Fairy Queen in 1895. The engine was pulled out of service in 1908, and was displayed as the first exhibit of the National Rail Museum in 1971. The Fairy Queen was completely overhauled at the Perambur workshop of the Southern Railway division in 1996, and made its first commercial trip in July 1997. The following year it received a certification from the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest working locomotive.
The Fairy Queen train would depart from Delhi Cantt. on day one at 9.00 a.m. to reach Alwar at 3.00 p.m. the same day, and the passengers would be lodged in Hotel “Tiger Den” at Sariska, as was the practice in the past. On day two, the train will depart from Alwar at 1.00 p.m. to reach Delhi Cantt. at 6.45 p.m. It will stop for 10 minutes each at Garhi Harasuru, Pataudi Road, Rewari, Ajarka and Khairthal stations en route in both directions.
The tariff for the full package would be Rs 10,200 per adult and Rs 5,100 for a child. The journey between New Delhi and Alwar with sightseeing and stay at Sariska would be Rs 7,100 per adult and Rs 3,550 for a child, while one way train journey between New Delhi and Alwar only would be Rs 3,200 per adult and Rs 1,600 per child. [Convert currency here.]
The tourist train will take about two trips every month from October 2010 to March 2011.
