April 14, 2002

   Preparations for the inauguration ceremony of the Railways 150^th year are at the high pitch. The Minister for Railways Shri Nitish Kumar visited the National Rail Museum here today to review arrangements for the Inaugural Ceremony which will be held tomorrow with the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the Chief Guest. The PM will release the ‘Mascot’ and the ‘Logo’ for the year-long celebrations specially designed by the National Institute of Design, Ahemdabad. He will also flag off a commemorative steam run of the world’s oldest working locomotive ‘Fairy Queen’ which will symbolise India’s journey from steam era to modern diesel/electrical era.

    In Mumbai too, railway workers are giving final touches to the special steam loco and the 14 other vintage coaches that will run from Mumbai CST to Thane on 16^th April in commemoration to the first railway train which ran in India on this route 150 years ago on the same day. The Governor of Maharashtra Shri P.C. Alexander will be the Chief Guest of the ceremony. The Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Communication and Information Technology Shri Pramod Mahajan will release a special commemorative stamp on this occasion. In a separate function the Railway Minister will also honour outstanding railway employees.

    In the meantime, bookings have been opened for the Mumbai- Goa Jan Shatabdi, the first of the 16 Jan Shatabdi Trains which will be launched this year as part of the 150^th year Celebrations. The fare for 572 km journey has been kept at Rs. 272 for the second Chair Car class and Rs. 800 per passenger for the AC chair car class. This includes reservation and catering charges. Shri Nitish Kumar will flag off this train from Mumbai (Kurla) on Tuesday, April 16^th.