Indian Railways puts forth policy to lease, sell coaches to Private Parties to run theme-based tourist circuit trains
Private parties will be able to lease, buy railway coaches to run theme-based cultural, religious trains according to policy by Indian Railways
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New Delhi, September 11: According to a policy which is being formulated by Indian Railways private parties will soon be able to lease and buy railway coaches to run theme-based cultural, religious and other tourist circuit trains.
The Railways said that an Executive director-level committee has been constituted by the Ministry of Railways to formulate the Policy and Terms and Conditions of the project.
The release said, “To tap the potential of tourism sector and to leverage the core strengths of the professionals of tourism sector in tourism activities like marketing, hospitality, integration of services, reach with customer base, expertise in development /identification of tourist circuits etc, Indian Railways is planning to spread Rail based tourism among masses through leasing of coaching stock to interested parties to run them as theme based cultural, religious and other Tourist Circuit trains.”
The plan is that the interested parties have to buy or lease a train having a minimum of 16 coaches.
The release said that the proposed model will allow private parties to conduct minor refurbishments of coaches and leasing of coaches for a period of a minimum of 5 years and will be extendable till codal life of the coaches.
The part interested will have to develop / decide the business model, like the routes, itinerary and tariff.
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Punctuality, timely approvals for the coach refurbishment and itineraries will be given priorities.