Khajuraho to get train from Thursday

Khajuraho, known for medieval Hindu and Jain temples with erotic sculptures, will finally come on the railway map Thursday.

The Udaipur-Gwalior Express has been extended to Khajuraho, in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh.

Passengers will board the train from Agra Cantonment station around 11 a.m. and reach Khajuraho in the evening.

The proposal for a train to Khajuraho had been hanging fire for a few years. Agra’s tourism industry was keen that a direct train be provided so that tourists could visit the famed destination.

According to railway spokesman Bhupendra Dhillon here, the train to Khajuraho will run from Thursday. “From Udaipur to Khajuraho, the 1,106 km will be covered in 21 hours and 20 minutes,” she said.

Rakesh Chauhan, president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association, welcomed the rail connectivity to Khajuraho.

“Domestic tourists from Agra and others who come to see the Taj Mahal will now be able to visit Khajuraho.”

The rail link to Khajuraho from Jhansi was completed more than a year ago.