India’s first Jungle Safari Vistadome Train

• 19 May 2025

Why in News? 

The Indian Railways and the government of Uttar Pradesh introduced India’s first Vistadome jungle safari train. 

Key Points 

Jungle Safari Vistadome Train 

•  About: 
  • This initiative will connect the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary with the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, offering passengers a chance to experience the state's rich biodiversity. 
  • At present, the service operates on weekends but plans are being firmed up to expand it to daily operations, making it accessible to more visitors year-round. 
• One Destination, Three Forests:  
  • This plan is part of the “One Destination, Three Forests” theme by the Eco Tourism Board of Uttar Pradesh.  
  • It aims to bring Dudhwa National Park, Katarniaghat, and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary together as one combined tourist destination for a richer and more connected wildlife experience. 
• Economic Importance: 
  • The train is expected to boost local tourism, create new jobs, and support sustainable development. 

Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary 

• It is situated in the Upper Ganga Plain, Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh, covering 400.6 sq km with a rich and diverse ecosystem. 
• It was established in 1975. In 1987, it was brought under the purview of the ‘Project Tiger’, and together with the Kishanpur  Wildlife Sanctuary and the Dudhwa National Park it forms the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve. 
  • Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary was later declared a Tiger Reserve in 2008. 
• It hosts animals like chital, deer, wild boar, tiger, elephant, and leopard, and endangered species such as gharial, rhinoceros, Gangetic dolphin, swamp deer, hispid hare, Bengal florican, and vultures. 
• It features mixed deciduous forests of sal and teak, grasslands, swamps, and wetlands, with the Girwa River maintaining ecosystem balance. 

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve 

• Located in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh on the Indo-Nepal border, within Lakhimpur-Kheri district. 
• Known for its rich biodiversity, it is home to Bengal tiger, Indian rhinoceros, swamp deer, leopard, and many bird species. 
  • Part of the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL), which includes: 
    • Dudhwa National Park 
    • Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary 
    • Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary 
  • These three areas form the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger, protecting the last viable population of Royal Bengal Tigers in the state. 
  • Dudhwa National Park and Kishanpur Sanctuary joined the reserve in 1987, and Katarniaghat joined in 2000.