The train which had previously made a stop at Secunderabad junction in Hyderabad is a part of the publicity campaign for the Commonwealth Games 2010 to be held in New Delhi. "This train will be in Chennai for three days, during which the public can see the exhibits on display on this train," said Srivastava. "The exhibition train consists of 11 coaches, five of which will showcase the history of the Commonwealth games, famous sportspersons in India and the railways contribution to sports. It will also trace the history of the Queen's Baton Relay," he added.
The remaining six coaches will carry displays of India's progress through the years in the sector of information technology. Dr Santhosh Babu, CEO of Tamil Nadu eGovernance Agency, said, "The Railways was the first harbinger of e-governance on such a massive scale. It is only fitting that this showcasing be a joint venture with the Railways."
The Queen's Baton, similar to the Olympic Torch, carries a message from the Queen of Commonwealth, that is England, and is carried in a relay around all the 70 commonwealth countries before being relayed to the host country where the games are held. The flagging off of the Commonwealth Express in New Delhi by Railways minister Mamata Banerjee coincided with the arrival date of the baton through the Wagah Border from Pakistan on June 24.
Divisional railway manager S Anantaraman said, " The express train will cover 48 cities before returning to New Delhi on the eve of the Commonwealth Games. After Chennai, the train make halts at Puducherry and Madurai before moving onto Thirvananthapuram in Kerala."
The Indian railways is confident of receiving a large footfall in Chennai. "We received around 38,000 footfalls at Secunderabad junction," said Srivastava. "The response has been good in other cities too."
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