Maharajas' Express on special trip for New Year travellers

NEW DELHI: For travellers keen to welcome the New Year in style and grandeur, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. ( IRCTC) will operate its premier luxury train Maharajas' Express on a special trip of Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and Ranthambore.

The "Gems of India" trip has been scheduled from December 30 and will take the travellers on a three-night/four-day tour of Delhi-Agra-Ranthambore-Jaipur-Delhi.

For booking of tickets, the Maharajas' Express website has been enabled to accept online payments. One can book tickets directly on www.the-maharajas.com.

"This is for the first time that IRCTC has launched a trip of its signature luxury train for celebrating New Year in a grand style. The icing on the cake is that a traveller has to book just one ticket while his companion will travel in that cabin absolutely free," said IRCTC Chairman and Managing Director A K Manocha.

The train, a signature enterprise of IRCTC, began its inaugural run in March 2010. Since then, it has been voted the world's leading luxury train for four years in a row.

The tariff, ranging between US dollars 3,850 and US dollars 23,700 depending on the train's five different circuits, includes meals, house wines and spirits, sightseeing and services of experienced guides.

All the cabins have been named after precious gems, such as Firoza, Moti, Manik, Panna and Hakik, in an effort to recreate the royal grandeur of the bygone era, IRCTC said.