Indian Railways and the Andhra Pradesh government will soon float a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to launch Southern Splendour, a train project covering choicest tourist spots in south India.According to officials in the state tourism department, the central govt recently gave clearance to the Rs 40-crore project. While the central govt has agreed to provide Rs 10 crore financial assistance to the project, the railways will chip in with another Rs 10 crore. The state government has decided to invest Rs 5 crore in the project.On the lines of Palace on Wheels of Rajasthan, the project is expected to attract tourists from India and abroad. It was proposed at a meeting of tourism ministers of five southern states held here. The Andhra government, which has taken the lead in this regard, is in discussions with the railway authorities to start a company for the purpose.State government officials said that the other states were also willing to join the project. "If all the states take part in the project, there is no need to go for a private partner,' a tourism department official said. The project is expected to be ready by 2008.
