The once popular ‘Heritage on Wheels’, luxury train may soon be transformed into a restaurant in Jaipur, after it ferried tourists to see the splendours of the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan for two years. K Sharma, General Manager, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation opines that it is sad that this beautifully-designed train is parked in a railway shed instead of carrying passengers. “We don’t want the effort to go waste; therefore, a high-end restaurant is what we have in mind. With traditionally done interiors, this train-restaurant will be a unique concept in itself. We are confident that it will attract both, tourists and residents,” adds Sharma.
According to an IANS report, the fully air-conditioned luxury train service started operations in January 2006, with 14 lavishly decorated coaches, two restaurants and a well appointed bar-cum-lounge. However, in December 2008, it was left to idle away at a shed in Jaipur due to several reasons. “We are exploring various options for a suitable spot to park the 'Heritage on Wheels' in its new avatar. What we know for sure is that it will be inside main Jaipur city. We are giving the final touches to the proposal. I feel it will come up for approval soon. Perhaps, after the elections are over, we will have concrete news to share,” states Sharma. With the new plan now for ‘Heritage on Wheels’, officials hope well-heeled tourists will start coming on board to get a taste of the country's rich heritage.
With the ‘Palace on Wheels’ as a model, ‘Heritage on Wheels’ demanded a tariff of USD 300 per person per night for single occupancy, USD 200 for double occupancy and USD 150 for triple occupancy. The service covered three nights and four days. The state's tourism promotion officials said the service was suspended not only because of low occupancy, but also because of a change from metre gauge into broad gauge in that sector. The service was running on metre gauge. Some other luxury trains that operate in the country include: The Deccan Odyssey, covering Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ajanta and Goa, and The Golden Chariot, covering Bengaluru, Mysore and Goa.
Source : hospitalitybizindia
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