Providing a picturesque monsoon ride, Patalpani-Kalakund Heritage Train, all set to make a comeback

In a bid to offer an enchanting journey for both tourists and residents of Madhya Pradesh cities, the Central Railways has announced the commencement of the Patalpani-Kalakund train starting August 26th. This unique train service, which operates exclusively during the monsoon season each year, will traverse the picturesque hills connecting the Patalpani and Kalakund areas, providing passengers with a captivating nature and heritage experience.

Although there were plans to discontinue the track a few years ago, the track's value as a tourist destination led to the continuation of its service with small trains.

The heritage train, 52966 Kalakund-Patalpani will depart from Kalakund at 15:34 hrs and is expected to arrive at Patalpani by 16:30 hrs, starting from Aug 26. This train consists of two AC chair cars as well as three non-AC chair cars. Passengers will be required to obtain exclusive tickets for the train from the IRCTC website or authorized reservation centres.

For the AC Chair Car, the fare for a one-way journey stands at Rs 265. Alternatively, the fare for a non-AC chair car is set at Rs 20 per individual.

In 2018, the track from Patalpani to the Kala Kund valleys was designated as a Heritage Track. Following this, the state's exclusive Heritage Train was launched on the route the same year.

Operating along the Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow)-Patalpani-Kala Kund route, this train has swiftly captured the interest of travelers due to its picturesque pathways. It became an annual attraction, operational during the monsoon season every year.