New Delhi, April 9: In the run up to Lok Sabha Elections 2019, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has collaborated with Indian Railways for launching a voter awareness Campaign across the nation to motivate voters. As part of the campaign for the upcoming polls, four long distance trains will be utilised to carry voter awareness and motivational messages. According to details in the ECI website, the trains will display important contact for the citizens including the Voter Helpline number and the National Voters’ Services Portal besides motivational messages urging voters to vote. Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Schedule: Voting In 7 Phases From April 11.

The four trains have been selected on the longest North-South route and East-West route and covers 19 States in all.

  1. Kerala Express: This train is a daily train covering 3035 Kms in 8 States in 51 hours 10 minutes and has 41 stops. There are 20 stops with the stoppage of 5 minutes or more, details enclosed. Capitals covered by Kerala Express are Bhopal, Thiruvananthapuram.

  2. Himsagar Express: This is a weekly train covering 3714 Kms in 12 States in 71 hours with 69 stops. There are 29 stops with the stoppage of 5 minutes or more including the last stop. State capitals are Thiruvananthapuram, Bhopal, Nizamuddin/New Delhi and Jammu Tawi.

  3. Howrah Express: This train is a daily train covering 2087 kms in 6 states in 37 hours 35 minutes with 63 stops. There are 19 stops with the stoppage of 5 minutes or more. Capitals covered are Ahmedabad, Raipur, Howrah.

  4. Guwahati Express: This train is a weekly train covering 3237 kms in 7 states in 67 hours 40 min with 41 stops. There are 23 stops with the stoppage of 5 minutes or more. Capitals covered are Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Patna and Guwahati.

Indian Railways has one of the largest railway networks in the world. These trains will travel across the country and citizens will be encouraged to click a photograph with the train and upload it on social media, for further spreading the message. According to the Ministry of Railways, on an average, Indian Railways carries 22.24 million passengers and 3.04 million tonnes of freight each day. This widespread network ensures that communication on this platform has a wide reach in urban as well as rural segments.

Polling for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19 while the counting of votes will take place on May 23. With the announcement of election dates on march 10, the Model of Conduct has come into place with immediate effect.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2019 12:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).