Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation has planned to start west coast tours covering the four states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala on its Deccan Odyssey luxury train, which currently is running almost in loss.
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has planned to start west coast tours covering the four states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala on its Deccan Odyssey luxury train, which currently is running almost in loss.
Apart from the 7-day west coast tours, the corporation has also planned two 4-day trips on the Mumbai-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg-Goa and Nashik-Shirdi-Aurangabad routes.
After MTDC realised that there is a huge demand for the beaches and forts in the western coastal parts of the country from domestic as well as international tourists, the corporation has chalked out these packages to attract the tourists. However, the cost of the 7-day coastal tour will be nearly Rs2 lakh per person. To make it more feasible and tourist friendly, the corporation has requested the railway ministry to reduce the haulage cost and bring it to the level it was in 2008, before the railways changed its policy.
The luxury train currently is run by private operators and that too on routes which are outside the state. Its high maintenance and operating cost as well as the increased haulage cost by the railways has forced the state government to run the train with the help of private operators. The state government has requested the railways to reduce the haulage cost, which is Rs1600 per kilometre currently.
“We have been following the issue with the railway ministry for last two years. Former chief minister Ashok Chavan had written three letters, seeking an appointment with the railway minister to discuss the issue. The haulage cost per trip is nearly Rs52 lakh. The charges levied are more than double of those levied on the general passenger trains,” said Avinash Dhakne, joint managing director, MTDC. “If the haulage is brought down, we would be in position of offering the West Coast trip in little more than Rs1 lakh.”
The corporation also has plans for 4-day trips to coastal Maharashtra and Goa. “We want to offer tours to Sindhudurg and Goa as well as to Nashik-Shirdi-Aurangabad for as low as Rs40,000 per person. This would be a unique experience for the tourists,” Dhakne said.
He said that he expected the relaxation in the haulage cost in the upcoming railway budget.
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