The Union Tourism Ministry is also joining in to run the train on the 'Incredible India' brand and incur an initial investment of Rs 31 crore.
The Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the coordinator of the project, will run the train, set to begin operations in an year's time.
While the railways will spend around Rs 13.5 crore to get 19 super-luxury coaches manufactured, probably at Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the Punjab Government and the Tourism Ministry will invest Rs 10 crore and Rs 7.25 crore respectively in getting the interiors done.
Private consultants will be hired to do the interior decoration (reflecting Punjab's heritage and culture) and the train which will boast of a restaurant, spa, gym and business center.
"The train will have around 100 seats. Other than an exclusive Presidential Suite, all other coaches will have identical facilities. The ticket cost would roughly be around $ 350-450 per person per day," IRCTC's managing director Dr P.K Goel said.
He said the target was mainly foreign tourists and NRIs. The idea being, to have a product that combines sight-seeing with religious tourism.
"We are planning roadshows and an advertising blitzkrieg in UK and USA to popularise the venture," Goel added.
Starting from Safdarjang railway station in New Delhi, the seven-day trip will see the train first go to Amritsar and then to places like Nangal, Chandigarh, Kalka, Barog, Ambala, Patiala, Kurukshetra, Jaipur and Agra before returning to Delhi.
While the train will halt at these places, tourists will be taken for sight-seeing by road to places like Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, Bhakra Nangal dam, Anandpur Sahib, Kiratpur Sahib, and the Maharaja of Patiala's palace.
From Kalka, the passengers will be shifted to a narrow gauge train which will take them to Barog. From Barog, they will be taken by road to Chail, which was Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh's summer abode and still boasts of the world's highest cricket pitch and polo ground.
Passengers on this train will also get a chance to visit places of tourist interest in Kurukshetra, Jaipur and Agra on the way.
While IRCTC will be responsible for running the train and providing on-board services like catering and passenger assistance off-board services like sight-seeing and cultural activities will be taken care of by the Punjab Government.
source: indian express