The Hindu Business Line : Finetuning of Golden Chariot operations under way

The Golden Chariot, the luxury heritage train operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), will break even by 2009-end, said Mr Anand Menon, Project Director of The Golden Chariot.

The KSTDC has invested about Rs 50 crore on the train, including Rs 40 crore on its interiors. There will be back-to-back runs from October onwards.

The train would also see minor changes in its itinerary to enable its guests to use onboard amenities such as the spa and the gym better.

Talking to Business Line onboard the train on a sponsored trip for presspersons last week, he said that talks were on with South-Western Railways to take the train to the upcoming Badami Railway Station. The station at the historic Chalukya site will be ready in a month’s time.

“We are also considering removing Aihole from the itinerary, which means guests could spend more time on board the train. We are also exploring possibilities of leaving Hospet at 8 am on Day 6 of the tour instead of at 6 am,” Mr Menon said.

This would give more time for guests to relax onboard, he added. “We are exploring possibilities of including Bijapur on the tour, which would be possible if we take the train to Badami,” he said.

Mr Abhijay Verma, General Manager, The Golden Chariot, said that other changes to re-organise the current itinerary on Day 6 of the tour were being worked out. “We want our guests to witness the breathtaking Dudhsagar Falls and the scenic Ghat section en route to Goa, which the train currently passes through in the night,” he added.

On Day 3 too, plans are on to make the sight-seeing trips in and around Mysore shorter so that guests spend more time onboard, he said.

Getting corporates onboard

There are plans to break up the journey into three/four-day trips to attract corporates. “The conference coach will be ready in a couple of months. We are looking at selling accommodation to corporates on a time-share basis. We would be starting the process in 10-15 days,” Mr Verma said.

Wi-fi connectivity to all 44 cabins of the train will be enabled in about 20 days, Mr Menon said, adding that there were some minor technical glitches that needed to be sorted out. Currently, data cards for broadband connectivity are available at the train’s business centre.

The conference coach will also have a children’s play area and a library, said Mr Verma. The train can also be chartered for the whole journey, and there are plans to let out the train for film shooting too.

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