The travel and hospitality company Cox and Kings is all set to take a giant leap ahead, by launching ‘Maharaja Express’, a 23-coach luxury train. It has a passenger capacity of eighty-four. A joint venture (50:50) between Cox & King and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC), the train will be rolled out in 2010
Anil Khandelwal, CFO - Cox and Kings, said that the rail-based tourism and hospitality of IRCTC and Cox and Kings’ high-end international tourism have joined hands for this high-end project. While IRCTC will deal with the operations, Cox and Kings will be engaged in the marketing of the product globally. The 23 luxury coaches of the train are being built by the Integral Coach Factory, in Chennai. The credit of decorating the interiors of this 45-crore luxury train will be with distinguished designers from India and abroad.
Maharaja Express is supposed to have 16 journeys every year, in two phases. It will pass through exotic and popular tourist destinations in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi in the first phase and visit Agra, Khajuraho, Bandhavgarh, Varanasi, Gaya and Kolkata in the second phase. It can welcome guests with four different configurations - 5 deluxe coaches, each with 4 cabins, one presidential suite exclusively in one carriage; six deluxe cabin carriages, each with three cabins; and two suite carriages, each with two suites.
