Maharajas' Express back on track, signals return of foreign tourists

The Maharajas’ Express is back on the tracks, 10 months after being halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the first of the three scheduled luxury train trips departing Delhi for Agra.The development signals the return of foreign tourists to the country, as they are the primary users of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation's (IRCTC) special train service. The Maharajas' Express began service in 2010.

The last trip for Maharajas' Express was in February 2021, and two more trips scheduled for March 2021 were cancelled to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was also decided that all 28 Maharajas’ Express scheduled departures for the current season (2021-22) -- from October 2021 to April 2022 -- would be cancelled.

According to the latest schedule, two Maharaja Express trips are scheduled in December, and one is in January. According to officials in the know, these trips are being operated at full occupancy, with each train carrying more than 70 passengers. On December 23, the first of such trains left Delhi’s Safdurjung Railway Station for Agra. This batch of Maharaja Express trips has over 210 passengers, with an average cost of Rs 2-3 lakh per person for each of the four days and three nights tours.

This tour, known as the Treasures of India, begins from Delhi and travels to Agra, Ranthambore, and Jaipur before returning to the national capital. Guests on this route will be able to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Ranthambore National Park, and heritage sites such as the Amber Fort and Rambagh Palace in Jaipur. Passengers will also be served meals on board.

In 2017, IRCTC also decided to launch two new Maharajas' Express circuits. These two new trips, Southern Sojourn and Southern Jewels, cover popular destinations in west and south India.

Railways to monetise New Jalpaiguri Barrack colony

Indian Railways as part of its ongoing monetising efforts, has invited bids for the redevel­opment of existing railway housing complex as well as the development of commercial and residential space at Barrack Colony, New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, an official said Rail Land Development Authority, under the Ministry of Railways, is the executing agency, the official said.