Lok Sabha Question No. 2504 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-01
Subject: Luxury Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: P. C. MOHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2504 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2018

## LUXURY TRAINS

## 2504. SHRI P.C. MOHAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  and  details  of  luxury  trains  operated  by  the Railways and the income earned by these luxury trains during the last three years and the current year;
- (b) whether  these  trains  have  incurred  losses  and  if  so,  the reasons for such losses;
- (c) whether the Railways is issuing complementary or free passes to various categories of people;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  steps  taken  by  the  Railways  to  improve  the  revenue  of these luxury trains?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.2504  BY  SHRI  P.C.  MOHAN  TO  BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  01.08.2018  REGARDING  LUXURY TRAINS

(a):  Presently, Indian Railways operate 5 luxury tourist trains namely Palace on Wheels, Heritage Palace on Wheels (started on 29.12.2017), Deccan Odyssey, Golden Chariot and Maharajas' Express in association  with  State  Tourism  Corporations  (STCs)  /  Indian  Railway Catering  and  Tourism  Corporation  (IRCTC).  The  income  earned  by these trains during last 4 financial years is as under:

| Financial Year                                                   | Number of Trips operated                                         | Number of Passengers travelled                                   | Occupancy % Revenue earned (in Cr. D )                           |                                                                  |
|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Palace on Wheels - Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation     | Palace on Wheels - Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation     | Palace on Wheels - Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation     | Palace on Wheels - Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation     | Palace on Wheels - Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation     |
| 2014-15                                                          | 35                                                               | 2024                                                             | 56                                                               | 35.71                                                            |
| 2015-16                                                          | 35                                                               | 1739                                                             | 48                                                               | 33.47                                                            |
| 2016-17                                                          | 33                                                               | 1373                                                             | 40                                                               | 27.11                                                            |
| 2017-18                                                          | 33                                                               | 1498                                                             | 60                                                               | 27.59                                                            |
| Deccan Odyssey - Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation     | Deccan Odyssey - Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation     | Deccan Odyssey - Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation     | Deccan Odyssey - Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation     | Deccan Odyssey - Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation     |
| 2014-15                                                          | 16                                                               | 405                                                              | 29                                                               | 5.10                                                             |
| 2015-16                                                          | 23                                                               | 631                                                              | 33                                                               | 5.60                                                             |
| 2016-17                                                          | 25                                                               | 643                                                              | 32                                                               | 9.51                                                             |
| 2017-18                                                          | 21                                                               | 879                                                              | 52.5                                                             | 12.76                                                            |
| Golden Chariot - Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation | Golden Chariot - Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation | Golden Chariot - Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation | Golden Chariot - Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation | Golden Chariot - Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation |
| 2014-15                                                          | 11                                                               | 336                                                              | 34.7                                                             | 5.47                                                             |
| 2015-16                                                          | 9                                                                | 231                                                              | 30.2                                                             | 4.74                                                             |
| 2016-17                                                          | 11                                                               | 336                                                              | 34.7                                                             | 5.49                                                             |
| 2017-18                                                          | 8                                                                | 291                                                              | 41.34                                                            | 2.61                                                             |
| Maharajas' -                                                     | Express                                                          | Indian Railway                                                   | Catering                                                         | and Tourism                                                      |
| Corporation                                                      | Corporation                                                      | Corporation                                                      | Corporation                                                      | Corporation                                                      |
| 2014-15                                                          | 34                                                               | 1229                                                             | 57.42                                                            | 47.58                                                            |
| 2015-16                                                          | 29                                                               | 1013                                                             | 51.68                                                            | 45.79                                                            |
| 2016-17                                                          | 31                                                               | 894                                                              | 39.31                                                            | 41.38                                                            |
| 2017-18                                                          | 28                                                               | 945                                                              | 40.18                                                            | 42.11                                                            |
| Heritage Palace on Wheels - Rajasthan Tourism                    |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  | Development                                                      |
| Corporation                                                      | Corporation                                                      |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 2017-18                                                          | 2                                                                | 44                                                               | 21.15                                                            | 0.21                                                             |

(b): Palace on Wheels, Heritage Palace on Wheels and Golden Chariot are operated on a revenue sharing basis whereas Deccan Odyssey and Maharajas' Express are operated against payment of haulage charge or  revenue  sharing  arrangement  by  respective  tourism  corporations leaving the actual profit /  loss  to  the  respective  corporations.  Indian Railways are only an operator of these trains and do not maintain any profit / loss account  for these trains separately. Ticketing  and marketing of these luxury tourist trains is the exclusive responsibility of  the  concerned  STCs  /  IRCTC.  Indian  Railways  have  no  role  in  the marketing of these trains or provision of on-board services. (c) and (d): Indian Railways permit railway officers to travel on these trains for purpose of inspecting in detail all aspects of train operations and  passenger  amenities  and  to  provide  new  innovative  ideas  to improve the services provided on these trains. (e): Promotion of luxury tourist trains is the responsibility of respective train  operating  tourist  corporations  /  IRCTC.  In  order  to  make  these trains  more  popular,  from  time  to  time,  respective  State  Tourism Corporations / IRCTC take steps like additional commission / discount / incentives  to  travel  agents  /  tourist,  participation  in  travel  marts, advertisement  /  publicity  in  media  etc.  However,  Indian  Railways  in order  to  make  operation  of  these  trains  financially  viable,  permitted Rajasthan  Tourism  Development  Corporation  (RTDC)  and  Karnataka State  Tourism  Development  Corporation  (KSTDC)  to  run  Heritage Palace on Wheels and Golden Chariot trains respectively on revenue sharing basis vide Board's letters dated 17.11.2017 and 31.01.2018.  In addition, policy of haulage charge for the luxury tourist trains has also been liberalized and existing haulage charges have been reduced by 50% flat in March 2018 for promotion of tourism.

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