Now, visit scenic Dooars in vistadome train coach

A long-awaited tourist train with a vistadome coach will start its journey from Saturday through the lush green forests and tea gardens of Dooars in north Bengal, a railway official said.

The train between New Jalpaiguri (NJP) and Alipurduar Junction through Dooars has already become an attraction among tourists as well as curious locals with all seats booked for this weekend, he said on Thursday.

The tourist train will have a vistadome coach, two air-conditioned chair cars and two non-a/c chair cars, apart from a luggage car and a power coach, he added.

“It will run three days a week — Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,” the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official said.

He said that the vistadome coach with a 44-seat capacity will have a fare of Rs 770, the a/c chair cars will cost between Rs 300 and 400 per seat and a non-a/c seat will cost only Rs 85.

The vistadome coach has huge windows and transparent roofs thus allowing a hindrance-free view of the surroundings.

“There are jungles, wildlife and tea gardens on the route between NJP and Alipurduar, thus providing a tourist with the opportunity to view the natural beauty of Dooars during their travel,” the NFR official said.

The scenic route passes through the foot of the Darjeeling Himalayas at Sivok, crossing the Teesta river, the tea gardens of Bagrakot, Oodlabari and Dalgaon to name a few and the dense forests at Chalsa, Madarihat and Raja Bhat Khawa.