Indian Railways is working to transform the Junagadh-Visavadar-Sasan Gir railway section in Gujarat into a dedicated heritage train route, with the plan aimed at strengthening tourism around Gir and preserving one of the remaining metre-gauge railway stretches in the country.
According to a statement by Indian Railways on Wednesday, 13 May, the route connecting Junagadh, Visavadar and Sasan Gir is being developed as a heritage-oriented tourism corridor.
The line is being retained in metre gauge format because most of the Indian Railways network has already been converted to broad gauge, leaving only a limited number of such older alignments with historical and aesthetic value.
The proposed heritage route is significant because the railway line passes through the Gir landscape, one of India’s most important wildlife regions and the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion.
The route is expected to offer passengers a slow-travel experience through forested terrain, with chances to spot wildlife such as lions, leopards and spotted deer from the train.
The line has long been associated with the old railway network of Saurashtra and retains the character of an earlier era of rail travel.
By keeping the section in metre gauge and branding it as a heritage route, Railways is seeking to turn an existing transport link into a tourism-focused experience rather than treating it only as a regular passenger service.
The plan also reflects a broader shift in railway tourism, where scenic and historically important routes are being redesigned around passenger experience, heritage value and local economic activity.
In the case of Sasan Gir, the train route can complement road-based tourism and forest safaris while offering a lower-speed travel option through the region.
Railways has said the train will operate at low speed because the route passes through an ecologically sensitive zone.
This is intended to reduce risk to wildlife and allow passengers to experience the landscape in a quieter and more relaxed manner.
A key part of the proposal is the planned introduction of Vistadome-style coaches on the route.
These coaches are expected to have large glass windows, and possibly glass-roof sections, to give tourists wider views of the Gir forest canopy and surrounding landscape.
The coaches are also expected to be redesigned with vintage-style interiors and exteriors, giving the train a retro appearance linked to the region’s princely-era railway legacy.
The idea is to make the journey itself a tourism product, rather than merely a way to reach Gir.
Small stations on the route, including Sasan Gir and Visavadar, are also expected to be maintained or upgraded in line with their heritage character.
Such station improvements would be important because the passenger experience on a heritage route depends not only on the train but also on the look and functioning of the railway stops along the corridor.
According to the Railways, Western Railway has proposed the plan, which has received support because the route links the historic city of Junagadh with Sasan Gir, one of Gujarat’s most prominent wildlife tourism destinations.
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