V Ayyappan | TNN
Nov 21, 2009:
Chennai: The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Perambur will soon roll out coaches for the Maharajas’ Express, a pan-India luxury tourist train that will be operated by Royale Indian Rail Tours Ltd (RITL) — a joint venture between Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Cox and Kings India Ltd (CKIL).
The concept was unveiled by the government in ITB Berlin, a trade platform, in March this year. The train — the most prestigious luxury train, according to the railways — will connect tourists spots between Mumbai and Delhi and between Delhi and Kolkata. “The train is expected to cover tourist destinations in south India in 2011,” an IRCTC official said. ICF has already completed production of 23 coaches and they are being furnished according to IRCTC specifications. “The coaches are in the final stages of production. The trial run is due for the first week of January before the actual launch scheduled for mid-January. The train will have state-of-the-art facilities, a level higher than the Palace on Wheels, the most prestigious one we have in the country,” said a senior IRCTC official.
“The 23 coaches for the Maharajas’ Express are different from what we have been producing for the Deccan Odyssey. It is one of the orders we will be fulfilling this year,” said ICF chief mechanical engineer Hemant Kumar. According to RITL, the luxury train has “a total of 23 coaches with a passenger capacity of 84.”
It is the first luxury train that boasts of four distinct configurations. It has five deluxe carriages, each with four cabins; six deluxe cabin carriages, each with three cabins; two suite carriages each with two suites; and an exclusive presidential suite in one carriage.”
The train will have two multi-cuisine restaurants that can seat 42 persons at a time. Its bar will have a collection of beers, wines and spirits. There will be an observation lounge with a separate bar, game tables and a boutique.
ayyappan.v@timesgroup.com
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