Pan-India tourist train in the works

In a major public-private partnership (PPP) initiative, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is planning to start its own dedicated train which would be run on a pan-India tourism circuit.

Currently, the IRCTC runs region-specific package tours for tourists. The corporation has to book tickets for passengers in regular trains running on the these routes. By running a dedicated train, the state-owned company expects to enhance revenues.

The corporation had sent a proposal in this regard to the Railway Board last month. Approval is expected by the end of this year. The IRCTC officials say that the train could be a reality by October 2008. The train will be a luxurious one, air-conditioned, with around 23 coaches and it will target high-end passengers.

However, IRCTC officials say that it would not be on the lines of Palace on Wheels, which caters to a specific region and has a 'regal' look.

A senior railways official confirmed that the train would have a modern design and would be run on a PPP model. The modalities related to both these aspects and the revenue sharing ratio would be decided once the proposal is cleared by the Railway Board.

The train would travel throughout the country, covering all the major tourist destinations. According to sources, by travelling in a single train the tourists' experience of the country will be enhanced. The train would run throughout the country, with circuits divided into four parts: Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Chennai, Chennai-Kolkata and Kolkata-Delhi. Passengers interested in travelling to a specific route, would have to book tickets in advance, so that once the train arrives at their destinations, they would be able to board it and travel up to the point of their reservation.

The proposal has come at a point, when IRCTC's ambitious budget hotel plan has hit a dead-end.

Its discussions with various travel companies for running luxury trains have not yielded any results, even though a year has gone by.