Commonwealth Express to chug into Orissa on Aug 7

The Commonwealth Express, an exhibition train, will chug into Orissa on August 7 on its ongoing journey to promote sports, information technology and youth issues.

Indian Railways, a lead partner for the Commonwealth Games, launched the exhibition train in association with the Department of Information Technology on June 24 from Safdurjung railway station, Delhi. The train was flagged off by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Commonwealth Express, East Coast Railways (ECoR), is a fully air-conditioned train, specially designed and painted with the Commonwealth logo along with that of Indian Railways. The exciting sporting exterior graphics on five coaches of the train are dedicated to sports and contain information on Commonwealth Games (CWG), landmarks in the history of Commonwealth games, the Queen's Baton Relay story - its travel plan, concept of first Green Commonwealth Games, CWG Logo and Shera (Mascot of CWG) story.

In the second coach, miniature models of stadiums and their details are presented where the 17 sports are being played in Delhi.

Game schedule at a glance, medal tally and Delhi's preparation at a glance are all available in this coach. Coach number three has live display of sports equipment and important facts about the 17 sports being played at the CWG-2010.

Coach four will be a complete gallery of photographs and names of medal winners at the CWG-2006, Asian Games at Doha, along with various Olympic Games and details of star Indian performers, who have done India proud.

The fifth coach has a display of trophies won by the Railways in the various sports events, besides information on the Indian Railway's pioneering contribution to sports with the list of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardees, Dronacharya, Dhyanchand, Arjun, Padmashri and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Protsahan award winners.

Apart from this, the additional six coaches have the complete Information Technology story of India comprising short information films dubbed in various languages. One of the coaches has been designed as an auditorium with internet, video conferencing and mobile communication facilities, ECoR sources said.