Guwahati, Dec 19 (IANS): Gyanodaya Express, an initiative of the Indian Railways to expose students to the history and culture of the northeastern states, will arrive here Saturday.

Under the initiative, a group of 850 students and teachers of Delhi University Thursday left for the region from Delhi's Safdarjung railway station.

On arrival, the students will be split into nine groups and would be taken to different parts of the northeast. They will return to New Delhi Dec 27, a railway official said here Friday.

Chief Public Relations Officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway Sugato Lahiri said the trip is being organised by the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC).

"The northeastern states of India have been in focus of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to support his vision, the Indian Railways has also renewed its focus to promote tourism in the northeast region," he said in a statement.

"This will help in eliminating prejudices and discrimination against the people of the northeast from the minds of the students and thereby curb recent atrocities and attacks being reported on them," he said.

Besides, Lahiri said the IRCTC has also been offering 60 percent concession on full tariff rates to eligible students from any part of the country travelling to northeastern states in charter trains or coaches on base fares in sleeper class.

The visit will cover eight northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.