Indian Railways partnered with Asia Pacific Heritage & Rail Tourism Organisation (APHRTO) to organise a Heritage Rail Tourism Conference at National Rail Museum, New Delhi recently. Participants from many countries including Japan, UK, Germany, Australia, Taiwan, senior officers of Indian Railways and other stakeholders of Heritage Rail Tourism were present in the Conference.
Tim Fischer, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia delivered a talk on ‘Heritage Rail Tourism in Australia’ in a curtain raiser held on the opening day.
Tim Fischer (Australia), along with Adrian Shooter (UK), David Morgan (UK) and Dr. Nui (Taiwan) and accompanied by Secretary, Railway Board and Executive Director/Heritage, Railway Board met Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu to discuss ideas on developing Rail Heritage Tourism in India. The participants also visited Heritage Transport Museum, Gurgaon, being managed by Heritage Transportation Trust, New Delhi.
Dr. Bibek Debroy, Member, NITI Aayog delivered the keynote speech in the inaugural session. The inaugural session was graced by Hemant Kumar, Member Rolling Stock, Railway Board, Ashwani Lohani, CMD/Air India, RK Verma, Secretary, Railway Board. The international conference, the first time ever organised in National Rail Museum on Heritage Rail Tourism is had three technical sessions with 14 papers being presented by national and international delegates primarily covering various aspects of Rail Heritage and promoting Heritage Rail Tourism in the world.
The Annual General Meetings of APHTRO and WATTRAIN (World Association of Tourist Trams and Trains) had been held as a side event. It was envisaged that this APHTRO Conference will bring ideas and visions for strategising Rail Heritage Tourism in India.
