Luxury Train Service On Odisha Tracks!

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is exploring the possibility of launching a luxury train service on the lines of ‘Palace on Wheels’ to attract foreign and high-end tourists.

Odisha chief secretary A P Padhi discussed the proposal with additional member of Railways (Tourism and Catering) Sanjiv Garg, on Thursday.

The railway board had already sent a letter to the state government to start the service in the state.

“We will go through the proposal properly and inform the railways after proper government’s order. Some states in the country have already started operating such luxury trains,” said Padhi.

Luxury trains are now available in different tourist circuits in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

The chief secretary said the project is likely to be a joint collaboration between the Indian Railways and the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC).

“Railways will operate rakes and take the haulage charges, while the interior furnishings will be done by the state,” a senior railway official said.

The government will take a decision on which route the train would be introduced, the official added.

According to official sources, the chief secretary has directed tourism secretary Vishal Dev to examine the financial, administrative, commercial and managerial aspects of the board’s proposals and prepare a feasibility report.

Luxury trains usually have around 13 coaches each. There are nine extra coaches for providing services and facilities to the passengers. Manufacturing and furnishing of each coach costs around Rs 2.5 crore, railway sources said.