Karnataka - Bangalore   

First commercial run of Golden Chariot today

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Regal splendour: The interior of one of the two restaurants inside the Golden Chariot.

BANGALORE: On its first trip across the State, it promises to showcase Karnataka’s art, culture and heritage to the tourists and will compete to emerge as another mascot of the State’s tourism. The Golden Chariot, Karnataka’s luxury train, will embark on its first commercial run on Monday night from the Yeshwanthpur railway station.

To add lustre to the first commercial run of the train, the Tourism Department has roped in several celebrities who will be travelling onboard during the inaugural run. Sources in the department said that the celebrities have been selected from various fields including art, literature and sports. They will be experiencing the opulent hospitality on board.

The luxury train will embark on a seven-night seven-day journey from Yeshwanthpur on Monday taking tourists to the cultural, historical and wildlife destinations of Karnataka including Srirangapatna, Mysore, Kabini, Belur, Halebeed, Shravanabelogola, Hampi, Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal before terminating at Goa. President Prathibha Patil officially flagged off the Golden Chariot on February 2. Sources said that apart from the celebrities and selected mediapersons, the train will also be carrying passengers who had booked their tickets.

The train will be carrying around 80 persons on board. Regarding the first trial run, sources said that no major faults had been detected both on board and off board during the trial run, which did not necessitate a second trial run before the commercial launch.

Director of Tourism Department C. Somashekar told The Hindu that the luxury train should expand the scope of spreading heritage value of the State.

“It is a thrilling experience to see the train operationalised commercially. Many States are looking at this effort of Karnataka and it is a beautiful addition to the State’s tourism portfolio,” he added.

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