Golden Chariot may be chartered soon

Karnataka tourism corp in talks with a Swiss firm to lease out the luxury train.

In a bid to increase the average occupancy rates of its luxury train, Golden Chariot, the state-owned Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) is planning to start charter services. The corporation is currently in talks with a Switzerland-based travel firm to lease out the luxury train for two weeks during the period March to May 2009.

Vinay Luthra, managing director, KSTDC, said, “We are initiating a number of measures to increase the average occupancy rates of Golden Chariot and make it more attractive. We are currently in the process of chartering the train for extended period of two weeks both within the state of Karnataka and outside. We have got many responses and currently talking to a Swiss firm through their representative in Delhi, Luxury Trains, for chartering in the month of March.”

The company wants to hire Golden Chariot for foreign travellers coming from Europe. They want to run the train to select tourist locations like Hampi, Badami, Bijapur in Karnataka, Ajanta, Ellora in Maharashtra, Udaipur, Jaipur in Rajasthan and Agra in Uttar Pradesh before returning to Bangalore.

KSTDC is in the process of obtaining clearance from its partner, Indian Railways, and working out the details of the arrangement. “Our aim is to increase the occupancy rates of Golden Chariot. In the last 10 commercial trips made by the train, the average occupancy was 25 per cent. This results into an earning of Rs 20 lakh per trip. Our marketing partner has assured us that they would get at least 75 per cent occupancy during the two-week trip,” Luthra told Business Standard.

As of now, KSTDC is losing in the range of Rs 40-60 lakh per trip which costs Rs 40 lakh. It hopes to increase its occupancy rate to about 40 per cent by end of this year and 50 per cent during the next year. With the new tourism season starting this October, KSTDC is planing to withdraw the 20 per cent discount it offered on the luxury train, Luthra said.