New Delhi: The launch of Garib Rath, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's dream project, is likely to be delayed by two days and it is expected to roll out on October 4.
Lalu would be launching the project apparently aimed at targetting low income and middle class passengers as also thousands of labourers travelling on the routes of Garib Rath.
Though no specific reasons were given for the rescheduling of the launch of the new train, officials said it was perhaps due to the engagements of the Minister.
Lalu had earlier indicated that the first Rath, with Air-conditioned coaches at an affordable rate for low and middle class passengers, would be launched on October 2, the Gandhi Jayanti Day, from Saharsa (Bihar).
In his Budget speech on February 24, 2006, the Railway Minister had announced four Garib Raths for low and middle-income passengers. The routes on which these trains would run are: Saharsa-Amritsar, Nizamuddin-Chennai, Nizamuddin-Patna and Nizamuddin-Bandra.
Meanwhile, Kapurthala based Rail Coach Factory, engaged in manufacturing coaches for the four Raths, has rolled out coached in a record time of three months.
Railway Board Member (Mechanical) R K Rao inspected them before they are handed over to Northern Railway for trial run.
Rao had said that after the trial run on some sections in the northern region and after obtaining clearance from Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety, these coaches would be put into operation on any of the four routes.
He said chair cars for Garib Rath were under making at by Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. The train would be offering the journey at one-third rate of the Air-conditioned class, which has never been thought of even by the passengers.
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