Royal train's income rises by 13%

The luxury royal train, Palace on Wheels, has registered nearly 13 per cent rise in income, but had a flat growth of nine per cent in the number of tourists in 2017-18, an official said.

A meagre 124 more tourists took the train, from 1,373 in the financial year of 2016-17 to 1,497 last fiscal, said Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) chairman Sanjeev Sharma.

The income from operations rose by around Rs 4.22 crore to Rs 37.44 crore in 2017-18 from Rs 33.22 crore in the year-ago period, a rise of 12.60 per cent, Sharma said.

The train was run as Heritage Palace on Wheels this tourism season, RTDC general manager Pradeep Bohra said.

The train rakes were refurbished to give a new look and super-luxury environment, he said, adding that the state hold immense tourism potential for luxury royal trains in the upcoming year.