Red Ribbon Express, the national campaign-on-a-train for mainstreaming the issue of HIV/AIDS, reached Chandigarh on Sunday. It was welcomed by UT Home-cum-Health Secretary, Ram Niwas on Platform No. 5 of Railway Station. This train, an impressive endeavor of National AIDS Control Organisation, consists of seven coaches. It was open to visitors from 9 am to 6 pm till Monday. About 50,000 school students from the city were given a tour of the train. The train will move to Haryana after Chandigrah.

UT Health Secretary Ram Niwas said that it was an impressive endeavour conceptualised by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and undertaken by the National AIDS Control Organisation to raise awareness about the disease and prevention. About 50,000 school students from the city will be taken around the train.

This train started its journey from Delhi on World AIDS Day (December 1) in 2007. It will cover over 9,000 km, about 180 districts and hold programmes and activities in 43,200 villages in the year, and return to Delhi on the same date this year.