Palace-on-wheels running in full steam

[Indian Railway News]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Jaipur/Palace-on-
wheels_running_in_full_steam/articleshow/3805251.cms

8 Dec 2008, 0534 hrs IST

JAIPUR: At a time when a pall of gloom prevails in the tourism
sector in the state due to large scale cancellations in all the
hotels, the Palace-on-Wheels has reported none so far. However,
security has been stepped up on the super luxury train in the wake
of Mumbai terror attacks.

"We are receiving queries from guests booked with us. But there has
been no cancellation so far," confirmed an official. While the train
always had armed guards onboard, now additional manual metal
detectors, CCTVs and manual frisking of luggage are a part of the
security drill.

Then, the countdown for the "better than the best" train has begun
albeit among too many apprehensions among the leisure traveller
segment. The all new Royal Rajasthan-on-Wheels (RROW), which
commences its first journey on January 11, 2009, has already got 20
bookings out of the full capacity of 82 passengers per trip.

The eight-day itinerary is all planned that would take the train
from New Delhi-Jaipur-Bikaner-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Udaipur &
Chittorgarh-Bharatpur & Agra-New Delhi. While the breakfast will be
onboard, lunches are planned at some of the best hotels.

"When we launched the Palace-on-Wheels, for two to three years we
took the tour only with 5-8 people even while our break-up was 33%.
But the train had to run," said a source. Today, the train is
absolutely booked till 2010 with over 76% bookings confirmed till
2012.

However, considering the prevailing situation, added incentives have
been offered on the train that were not there earlier. Also, a 10%
additional incentive is being offered to travel agents and tour
operators in addition to commission admissible for RROW bookings
made before December 31.

"However, this additional incentive will be given only for tours
conducted upto April 2009," said Mira Mehrishi, principal secretary
(tourism) and chairman of RTDC. So if the Palace-on-Wheels gave the
tour operators 17% commission, the RROW bookings will get them a
clean 27%.

For the travellers too, the fresh incentives will be easy on the
pocket. "Now tourists aboard RROW have the option of paying up the
entire booking amount just 15 days before the journey instead of 60
days as in the case of Palace-on-Wheels," said Mehrishi.

The RROW, fabricated at an approximate cost of Rs 40 crore, is a
fully air-conditioned train with a super deluxe saloon, 13 deluxe
saloons, two restro-lounges, one SPA car, one kitchen car, two staff
cars and two power cars.

This would be the third luxury train in Rajasthan doing the circuit
after immense response received by the first heritage train, the
Palace-on-Wheels.