The Incas were brutally
conquered in the 16th century by the Spanish, who made Peru one of
the capitals of their empire, and sent a steady stream of gold and silver from
the country to Spain. But Machu Picchu, also known as “the lost city of the
Incas,” was never discovered by them and so never plundered. This place was seen in "Kilimanjaro"
song in Enthiran starring Rajnikant, directed by S Shankar. Machu Picchu is in Cusco Region, Urubamba
Province on a mountain ridge 2,430
metres (7,970 ft) above sea level.
PeruRail is a railway
operator working tourist, freight, and charter services in southern Peru. It
was founded in 1999 by peruvian entrepreneur Lorenzo Sousa and British company
Sea Containers. Its website claims that - If you love nature and the
countryside, the Vistadome is exactly what you’re looking for.The panoramic
windows located beside and above your seat will bring you close to nature
unlike anything you’ve experienced before.The Vistadome* train offers a unique
connection with the scenery along the way to Machu Picchu, making passengers feel
as if they were somehow part of the nature that surrounds them.
Quite exotic and we could
see them only in Cinema, one may wonder – not really, as there is Vistadome
coach having glass panels in the roof providing
tourists with all-round views on scenic
lines in India – yes, at Vishakhapatnam – Araku route. Two Vistadome coaches have been built for the
route by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. As well as the glass ceiling,
they have rotating seats, LED lighting and a GPS-based passenger information
system. Similar vehicles are planned for introduction on other scenic routes.
‘The long cherished dream
of Vishakhapatnam tourists to travel in Vistadome coaches with wide windowpanes
has become a reality,’ said Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu when he flagged off
the first service via a teleconferencing facility. ‘The objective here is to
offer tourists to enjoy the scenic beauty, not only at destination, but also en
route to picturesque Araku Valley.’ - it
is yet another attempt by the active Railway Minister Suresh
Prabhu. With cleanliness, world-class
technology, quick responses, reduced grievances, agile booking facilities and a
lot more, services with Indian Railways have touched a new high. But that
doesn't stop Prabhu from improvising. Aiming to provide a delightful travelling
experience to the picturesque Araku valley in Visakhapatnam, the Railways recently
introduced a see-through Vistadome coach
on its Visakhapatnam-Kirandul passenger train.
This train has Vistadome
coach that has glass roof, LED lights, GPS-based info system and rotating seats
among other features.MrPrabhu also laid the foundation stone for mechanised
laundry at Visakhapatnam, which he said will significantly improve the quality
of linen provided on the trains and would lead to enhanced passenger
satisfaction.A function was also arranged at Visakhapatnam in which a number of
public representatives including MP Kothapalli Geetha and several MLAs were
present.
Though the demands and
expectations of common man are high, they do not often transform – though the
attractive train was made available, it is reported that many tourists did not
avail the train with vistadome coach from Araku to Vizag due to high ticket prices
and unfavourable timings !
Railway officials said
tourists are not willing to pay Rs 665 per head for one journey and are also
upset that there are no concessions for children. Moreover, the trains
scheduled daily departure back to Vizag from Araku is 4.10pm and arrival at the
port city is 8.30 pm. However, passengers complained that the return journey
gets delayed regularly because of which the train leaves Araku much after
sunset and leaves no room for them to enjoy the view before reaching Vizag.
The journey in the glass-domed coach from Vizaag
to Araku would provide a good glimpse of
the valleys, trees, animals, birds and tunnels – and luxury naturally comes at
a price.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
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