Karnataka’s luxury train to roll out in November

The much-awaited Karnataka’s luxury train “Golden Chariot”, which will chug through the state’s pristine landscape covering wildlife sanctuaries, heritage monuments and beaches, is expected to roll out of Bangalore railway station in the first week of November.

Billed as Karnataka’s answer to Rajasthan’s Palace on Wheels and Maharashtra’s Deccan Odyssey, the Golden Chariot is expected offer high-end travellers a heady mix of “heritage, culture, forest and beach tourism” during a week-long sojourn, starting from Bangalore and ending in neighbouring Goa, said Karnataka’s Principal Secretary for Tourism I M Vittala Murthy.

After marching out of Bangalore, the Golden Chariot will cover Srirangapatna, Mysore and Kabini Wildlife sanctuary before proceeding to Belur, Halebeedu and Hampi. Later, the luxury train will take the travellers to Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal before winding up the journey in Goa.

The Rs 400 million luxury train has a total of lavishly decorated 19 coaches with a seating capacity of 88 passengers. Out of the 19 coaches of the luxury train, 11 are passenger coaches, having 28 cabins with beds on a twin-sharing basis and 17 double-bed cabins, besides a cabin for physically challenged. Each cabin will have an LCD television set with a DVD station and 6 satellite channels.

The remaining coaches are meant for conferences, dining, restaurant, gym and massage parlour and lounge bar.

“The seven-day-six-night tour package will cost around $ 300 per day for each passenger and will work out to around $ 2,100 for the entire trip”, Vittala Murthy said.

The luxury train, which is a joint venture between Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) and Indian Railways, will also offer advance booking online. “Bookings can be made online and we will commence the facility sometime next month”, Vittala Murthy said.

He said the marketing campaign for Golden Chariot in the domestic and international markets will also start next month, he added.