Railways Launches Week-Long ‘Azadi ki Rail Gadi Aur Station’ Celebration
Mumbai: The Ministry of Railways has announced plans to celebrate ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ from July 18-23, covering 27 trains and 75 railway stations across 24 states linked to the Indian freedom struggle.
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is a government initiative to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of Indian independence.
“The Railways is planning a week-long celebration, which will be called”Azadi Ki Rail Gaadi”, at these stations while trains will be decorated during their normal journey.
Railway Board Chairman and CEO VK Tripathi said, “While the stations will be called “independent stations”, the trains will be called “spotlight trains”.
A program ‘Azadi Ki Rail Garhi Aur Station’ will be organized during this week under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, which will be called ‘Celebrity Week’ under the overall spirit of ‘Jan Bhagidari and Jan Andolan’ which will showcase the convergence of values and glories of the freedom struggle of the past with the aspirations and dreams of a young, new and iconic India,” he said.
This week will culminate with the milestone function on July 23,” said Tripathi. Public announcement systems at railway stations will play patriotic songs throughout these days, he said.
Most of the trains identified are linked to Mahatma Gandhi — the Ahimsa Express which runs between Ahmedabad and Pune, Ashram Express (Ahmadabad Delhi), August Kranti Tejas Express (Mumbai Central Hazrat Nizamuddin), Hutatma Express (Pune Solapur), Lokshakti Express (Bandra Terminus Ahmadabad) and Navjeevan Express (Ahmadabad Chennai Central). Other trains include Navyug Express (Mangalore Central Jammu Tawi), Sabarmati Express (Ahmadabad Varanasi and Ahmadabad Darbhanga), Sarvodaya (Ahmadabad Jammu Tawi), Sewagram Express (Mumbai C.S.T. Nagpur), Shanti Express (Gandhinagar Capital Indore) and Swaraj Express (Bandra Terminus Jammu Tawi), officials said.
The list also includes trains named after famous poet Rabindranath Tagore who wrote songs hailing the Indian independence movement and raising the spirits of the freedom fighters.
These trains include Shantiniketan Express (Howrah Bolpur), Gitanjali Express (Mumbai CSTHowrah) and Gurudev Express (Nagercoil Shalimar), they added. Trains named after Netaji Subhash Bose — Netaji Express (Howrah – Kalka) and Azad Hind Express (Pune Howrah)– have also been included in the list, officials said. Some of the stations include Cuttack (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birthplace), Puri (Chakhi Khuntia and Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das), Sambalpur (Veer Surendra Sai), Dhenkanal( Baji Rout), they said.
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