Indian Railways temporarily halted the operations of the Heritage train running between Dr. Ambedkar Nagar to Kalakund, owing to a decline in footfall. Comparatively, in the pre-pandemic times, the services were available on Saturdays and Sundays which saw a good number of bookings during peak tourism season. However, with the pandemic kicking in, the trains services remained shut for over two years and were resumed recently after restrictions owing to COVID-19 were lifted.

Train ticket sales affected by the pandemic

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The special Heritage Train number 52965/52966, is one of the very few metre-gauge trains running in the country. All those fond of travel and are nature lovers, embrace the enchanting natural beauty of the Vindhyachal mountain ranges while the Heritage Train runs on the 15 km long Dr. Ambedkar Nagar-Kalakund Heritage track. The train covers the distance of 15 km in 2 hrs 20 mins, soothing the passengers with the beauty of nature.

As per the officials, the service of the Heritage train will remain shut for an unspecified period, however, the services are expected to return to normal once the summer season ends and pre-COVID enthusiasm returns.