July 5, 2017 TnH Global

IRCTC cancels Maharajas Express train’s southern sojourn

The inaugural south India sojourn of IRCTC’s luxurious Maharajas Express train has been cancelled due to lack of patronage. While the onward journey from Mumbai to Thiruvananthapuram had zero bookings, there were only 18 bookings for the return leg, said IRCTC sources.

The eight-day, seven-night trip was to start on June 24 from Mumbai and the return leg from Thiruvananthapuram was to begin on July 1. The train carry 88 tourists.

The fare for the trip, which includes food and beverages, sight-seeing and stay in five-star like facilities on the train, ranged from Rs 3.77 lakh for the deluxe cabin to Rs 17.33 lakh for the presidential suite. The high fare is believed to be one of the reasons for the poor response, said sources in IRCTC. It was directed at the high-end clientele in the western and southern parts of the country.

The package included Karaikudi, Mahabalipuram, Hampi and Goa. As an inaugural offer, IRCTC had offered a free ticket on the booking of the first adult on a twin sharing basis at full cost. Passengers were also given the option of getting on the train for part of the journey by paying a fixed charge of Rs 33,250 per person per day.

“The itinerary has been postponed to September for which bookings will soon open,” said a senior IRCTC official.

News Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com