The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Southern Splendour hits roadblock

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Southern Splendour hits roadblock

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Southern Splendour, the proposed luxury train connecting major tourism centres in south India seems to have hit a road block, with a few States unwilling to cooperate.

Tamil Nadu Tourism Commissioner M. Rajaram told presspersons here on Tuesday that the luxury train was still in the planning stage, but it had been affected by non-cooperation by some States. “Even the Indian Railways has not shown much interest in the project,” he said.

Proposed in 2004, the Rs. 40-crore luxury train will offer a 10-day package, travelling through Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. While the Union Government has already committed Rs. 10 crore for the project, the States concerned are expected to contribute Rs. 5 crore each. “Now we need to rework the cost, which would have escalated from the earlier estimated cost of Rs. 40 crore,” Mr. Rajaram said.

Sources in Tamil Nadu Tourism said that the Andhra Pradesh Government had been coordinating with the Centre on the Southern Splendour project, which has been proposed by the South India Tourism Council.

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