As with the rail sector as a whole, luxury trains in India are coronavirus Pandemic. But while normal train services are back on track and surpassing pre-pandemic figures, luxury trains appear to be losing momentum.
Only Palace on Wheels, Golden Chariot and Maharajaz Express will operate after 2020, according to official ministry data accessed by News18.
Maharaja’s Express has made 7 runs till 30th November this year and earned Rs 14.34 billion. The average occupancy of trains was only 38%. Last fiscal year, we had a very high occupancy rate of 82% on three trips.
By November 2022, Palace on Wheels had five trips with an occupancy rate of 38%. His only ride on the Golden Chariot was 27% occupancy.
Low occupancy rates even before the pandemic
Further digging into the data shows that even before the pandemic hit, these trains had low occupancy rates. News18 has accessed details of the occupancy of these trains since 2014 and reveals that the average occupancy of trains from 2014 to 2022 did not exceed 50%.
Between 2014 and 2015, Palace on Wheels made 35 trips with an occupancy of 56%. The following year, for the same number of trips, occupancy dropped to 48%. Over the next three fiscal years, the train operated 33 times each year. Average occupancy of this luxury train was 40% from 2016 to 2017. 55% in 2017-18 and 56% in 2018-19. A slight improvement was seen in 2019-20 as occupancy reached 59%. The average occupancy of this train covering Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan from 2014-15 to 2022-23 was 39%.
Maharajaz Express operates on many itineraries across India and had an average occupancy of 44% between 2014-15 and 2022-23. In 2014-15 there were 34 trips and an occupancy rate of 57%. In the following financial year, occupancy fell to 52% on 29 trips and to 39% on 31 trips in 2016-17. Occupancy remained below 45% between 2017-18 and 2019-20.
The Golden Chariot ran 11 times in 2014-15 and 2016-17 with an occupancy rate of 35%. In 2015-2016, the train ran his nine times with a 30% occupancy. From 2017 to 2018, the train ran 8 times with an average occupancy of 41%. It remained suspended in 2018-19 and 2019-20. We had two trips in 2020-21 and had an occupancy rate of 34%.
Speaking to News18, a railway ministry official said the purpose of the trains was to promote tourism, not to bring in profits.
“There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected the operation of luxury tourist trains. These are now covered under the Bharat Gaurav Trains scheme. They operate under a standard costing methodology based on the principle of transport fees to promote rail-based tourism rather than a revenue model,” the official said, asking not to be identified. .
It is important to note that all luxury tourist trains have been covered by the new Bharat Gaurav Train Scheme from this financial year. Under this policy, service providers have full flexibility to determine themes, itineraries and fares according to market demand.
Service providers offer comprehensive packages with rail transport, accommodation, meals, local road transport and sightseeing facilities. Indian Railways We provide all assistance to operate these trains, including coach maintenance and detention facilities.
Low occupancy, free travel on dock
In 2019, the Standing Committee on Railways, headed by MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, West Bengal, questioned the railways about the low occupancy of luxury trains and the free travel they offer on these trains.
According to the Commission, the vacancy rates from 2012 to 2017 were 63.7, 61.07, 57.76, 45.46 and 45.81 for Maharaja Express, Golden Chariot, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, Deccan Odyssey and Palace on Wheels respectively.
“Maharajah Express operated entirely by Indian Railways without state cooperation during 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. It was even more disturbing that the occupancy rate was 29.86%: 32.22%, 41.8%, 41.58% and 36.03% respectively,” the Commission said, adding that in 2013-2014, 97 out of 1,594 seats were occupied. It added that 758 seats were occupied, as were occupied by free travelers.
It also said that free travel on these luxury trains continues to be offered at the recommendation of either the Railroad Commission, IRCTC or the State Tourism Development Corporation.
The commission said it failed to understand “the need to offer free travel at a time when these luxury trains generate little income to meet their own labor costs.”
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