After two years since its grand relaunch, Golden Chariot, the luxury train owned by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) and operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), is being revamped again to attract more guests.
The train, which was rolled out in 2020, had been revamped in 2022 with new amenities post-COVID-19. However, the train made only one trip owing to heavy haulage charges and insufficient number of bookings.
Now, the IRCTC has announced six dates between December 2024 and March 2025 for two packages — Pride of Karnataka (5 Nights/6 Days) and Jewels of South (5 Nights/6 Days).
“While we continued to receive some bookings for the luxury train, we were not getting enough to break even. But we have now taken a call to run the trains even if we take minor losses,” said a senior official from IRCTC. “We want to try and promote it once again and market it in all forums. We are promoting it with Maharaja’s Express (another luxury train).We are making all efforts to attract more passengers.”
The revamped train’s new features include newly upholstered furniture, drapery, renovated rooms and bathrooms, crockery and cutlery of reputed international brands and exquisite range of linen, according to IRCTC officials. To provide in-room entertainment, the smart TVs in cabins will also have subscriptions of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar and other streaming services. CCTV cameras and fire alarm system have been added. Passengers will also be able to enjoy selected house wines and beer, which will be included in the cost.
The haulage charges continue to be a burden for luxury trains in India as they were not given the 33% reduction that was granted to all the other trains in 2023. The haulage charges for most luxury trains are in crores. Despite this, there will be no hike in ticket prices of the Golden Chariot. The tariff per person (on twin sharing basis) will be ₹4 lakh plus 5% GST.
The luxury train tour package cost is inclusive of all onboard meals and house wines, guided excursions in air-conditioned buses, monument entry fee and meals at outside venues as per the itinerary.
Golden Chariot consists of 13 double bed cabins, 26 twin bed cabins and 1 cabin for specially-abled people. The train can accommodate 80 passengers. It has two restaurants — Ruchi and Nalapaka — and a bar named Madira. Arogya, a spa-cum-fitness centre, is among its many amenities.
Published - October 23, 2024 04:55 pm IST
