Golden Chariot will Operate its First Journey from March 2020

After a short period of rough patch, the Golden Chariot luxury train of Karnataka is expected to get back on its track from next year. The state tourism department of Karnataka and IRCTC are joining up for this re-entry of Golden Chariot.

Agreement Pending

As of now, the two agencies are planning on a shared revenue model, which would profit both the department. Once the planning is complete, the agreement would be signed, according to the KSTDC officer. During a press conference, he mentioned that the collaboration with IRCTC was planned because the department (IRCTC) has good experience in running different styles of luxury trains.

Collaboration of IRCTC and KSTDC

According to KSTDC’s MD, Kumar Pushkar, The KSTDC called three different tenders for managing sales and marketing for the train, in the past. There were plans for Cox & Kings to collaborate with the department but, they backed out from the contract. Now, IRCTC has come forward for the deal. According to Mr.Pushkar, the revenue model is not yet finalized between IRCTC and KSTDC.

IRCTC will take care of marketing the train on various platforms to increase the sales of the ticket. This tie-up has been made because KSTDC requires increasing the ticket salesand promote the itineraries.

In the past, IRCTC and KSTDC came up together for a deal to share the heavy haulage charge at a 40:60 rate. In prior to this deal, the haulage charge was a flat 55 lakhs per year.

Why was the train shut down?

The Golden Chariot train operated till the year 2018 and then it was closed down due to insufficient funds. There was a loss of funds of up to 41 crores. Finally, the IRCTC came to the rescue and lended their support.

The New Interiors of the Train

Both the exteriors as well as the interiors will be refurbished and this train will come back with modern facilities. Golden Chariot train has come up with a new package called the "Pride of Karnataka" that will travel through Bangalore, Mysuru, Chikmagalur, Hampi and Goa.

There is a mix of heritage as well as cultural ethos and royalty provided to the train exteriors as well as interiors. It draws inspiration from the stone chariots of Hampi. This is a perfect replica of the erstwhile South Indian splendor and heritage. There are also some of the best state of the art amenities provided and they also offer the most personalized services.

Train Facilities

The facilities that are provided to this train are quite similar to the facilities that are provided by the five-star hotels. There are multi-cuisine restaurants, plush cabins, a conference car having the state of the art technologies, a nonchalant lounge and also a rejuvenating spa.

Read more about Golden Chariot

New Destination Covered by Train

The Golden Chariot train will start its first operations from the month of March 2020 and it covers destinations that include Bandipur, Mysore, Srisangapatnam, Banavr, Halebidu, Chikmangalur, Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole and Goa. There are also new proposals for including newer destinations like Bijapur, Chikmagalur, Pattadakal and Aihole and others.

Golden Chariot Itinerary Details:

Day 1 : Sunday, Bengaluru – Bandipur - Mysore
Day 2 : Monday, Mysore – Srirangapatnam - Banavar
Day 3 : Tuesday, Banavar – Halebidu – Chikmangalur
Day 4 : Wedndesday, Hampi
Day 5 : Thursday, Badami – Pattadakal – Aihole - Goa
Day 6 : Friday, Goa - Bengaluru
Day 7 : Saturday, Bengaluru (Arrival)

New Cost of Golden Chariot Train

The cost of Golden Chariot Train has been mentioned below in US dollars for foreign tourists and INR for the Indian Nationals.

For International Travellers (in USD) Valid till (March to April 2020)
Occupancy Type	Per Person Per Night Cost	Total Cost Per Person (6N/7D)
Single Occupancy	USD 1225	USD 7350
Double Occupancy	USD 700	USD 4200

For Indian Nationals (in INR) Valid till (March to April 2020)
Occupancy Type	Per Person Per Night Cost	Total Cost Per Person (6N/7D)
Single Occupancy	INR 87247	INR 523480
Double Occupancy	INR 49855	INR 299130

Check out : Golden Chariot Terms and Conditions

This luxury journey will try to attract more passengers at lesser cost. There is also a 50% discount provided to the passengers if they travel with their companions. This discount is offered in order to attract more and more passengers.

The Golden Chariot offers 50% discount on companion fares on selected departure dates from March 22, 2020 to April 12, 2020.