The Orissa tourism department's plan to start a luxury train modeled on the famed Palace on Wheels has gained ground as a private player has evinced interest in investing in the project.
“The state tourism department would hold talks with the private player, who has experience in operating luxury trains in other states, on October 5 this year. We are trying to get our project entirely funded by him”, an official source told Business Standard. However, the source declined to name the party.
The proposed service is estimated to cost Rs 37 crore and it was intended to be implemented in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. Earlier, the state tourism department had negotiated with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for working out the modalities of the luxury train.
Apart from providing catering services, IRCTC will also be responsible for designing the interiors of the train. The luxury train will provide the tourists with a flavour of the state's wildlife, beaches, Buddhist sites, exquisite temples, arts and crafts, dance forms, Chilika lake and the tribal culture. The project involves cruise connectivity from Visakhapatnam to Kolkata via Orissa.