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The usually empty platform No. 9 of Vijayawada railway station was abuzz with activity as school students made a beeline for boarding the Science Express-Bio diversity Special, here on Saturday.The train was a big draw with students and their parents alike. The visitors, mostly children, voyaged into plant and animal kingdoms. Biodiversity, climate change, and energy and water conservation were the subjects that attracted the young minds.The specially designed exhibition coaches had illuminated charts, models of various plant and animal species. The children were seen pressing the buttons with great enthusiasm, which would provide answers to their queries on various aspects of plant and animal life.The Science Express — a 16-coach train for promoting scientific temper — is aimed at creating awareness about the country’s unique biodiversity. The train showcases various aspects of climate change, water and energy conservation, environment and legacy of the Science Express. The exhibition would showcase a wide array of biodiversity in the country and the conservation measures being adopted.Of the 16 coaches, eight are dedicated to showcasing biodiversity spread across the various bio-geographical zones — the Trans-Himalaya and the Himalayas, the Gangetic Plain, North East India, the Desert and Semi-Arid Zone, the Western Ghats, the Deccan Peninsula, and the Coasts and Islands. Three other coaches have exhibits on climate change, energy and water conservation.

The Lanco Foundation and the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board helped the students of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation-run schools in experiencing the science and biodiversity around them and across the globe. The Lanco Foundation distributed snacks to the school students. The train will remain at the station till Monday.