They say they’re going to put us on a train. They’re going to give us wine glasses and panoramic windows to peer through together. And controls to fix our room temperature. And lush beds to go with lush countryside. And cushions of every variety so we can mix and match them for comfort, or toss them aside and admire the mosaic on their cover. We’d better. They’re going to charge us a bomb.
Today, the Orient Express, “the train against which all other luxury trains are measured” according to Vanity Fair, has reached its destinational metaphor. The Indian government’s permission to private companies to charter trains and organise extravagant tours has led to an explosion in the local luxury train market. “We were just waiting for the permission to enter the market”, say the representatives of international travel companies Cox & Kings, Thomas Cook and The Luxury Trains unanimously, all of whom are loath to disclose details of their projected profit margins and costs. “This sector was waiting to happen”. It was. And now that it has, many palaces are ready to roll on rail tracks.
The Deccan Odyssey, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, The Golden Chariot and, of course, the Palace on Wheels (which probably has genuinely antique decor by now) are known names. Next on tracks will be The Indian Maharaja (November 18, 2009) and Maharaja Express (January 2010) launched by rival companies Thomas Cook and Cox & Kings respectively, with prices touching Rs 1,00,000 a night — and more.
While The Indian Maharaja is the Deccan Odyssey on a different route, Maharaja Express is a joint venture between Cox & Kings and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (a public sector concern). Later into 2010 will roll out Incredible India — Punjab Luxury Train and Splendour Of The South. For a nation whose father got thrown out of a first class train coach before he took up civil rights, we seem to have chugged on to a better station.
We’ll have a champagne lunch (Let there be Moet…) with the Taj Mahal as the backdrop. We’ll taste the finest cuisine of each state as we pass through it. Murg Jardaloo simmering in our mouths, penne with creamy saffron sauce melting our palate. The state-of-the-art “air cushion” technology (on the Maharaja Express) is much better than the earlier “spring” technology. We’ll hardly feel anything. Musicians, dancers and elephants will greet us at stations.
Ajay Trehan, CEO, The Luxury Trains, is called “Ajay Train” by his colleagues. “Road connectivity and safety in India can’t be relied upon,” he says. “Whereas, here you have a hotel that moves with you”. Arup Sen of Cox & Kings seconds this: “Our luxury train will cocoon the lack of infrastructure in the country. Also, if anyone was to cover the same destinations by plane, he’d go crazy trying to catch every flight on time. Here the itinerary works on its own”. Thomas Cook’s Sunil Suri adds that train journeys treat people to a countryside that road journeys seldom do.
Private railway cars and royal trains were once the status symbols of maharajas and maharajas only. The largest and most luxurious railway carriage ever built in Britain was for Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar of Indore in 1936 — the art deco interior included sycamore wood, chrome, pink mirrors and an internal telephone system. Such satisfaction will now be available in abundance to those who want to bridge the gap between riches and royalty, at least when on vacation. Considering The Indian Maharaja is already 70 per cent booked, right into 2010, there are many royal seekers.
We might get the presidential carriage all to ourselves. A limo will take us to Mehrangarh Fort and to Jaipur shops. There’s going to be tiger spotting and an exhibition elephant polo match. We’re going to see the sun rise on the Ganges in Varanasi, the temples of Khajuraho, and the ruins of Champaner. Back on the train, there’ll be Mark Tully (on Maharaja Express) to talk to us about India. We’ll have numerologist Sanjay Jumaani too (on The Indian Maharaja)…
Historically, markets for these luxury products lie in the UK, US and most of western Europe. Domestic Indians form only about five per cent of The Indian Maharaja’s clients, not counting nostalgic NRIs.
“What recession?” laughs Trehan, when asked whether he’s felt the meltdown, and goes on to explain that their clientele is too high-end to cut holiday costs because of Wall Street. Suri and Sen claim the recession’s effects have been negligible and are fast disappearing. Sen talks about a German family that’s expressed interest — they are now earning Euros 670 million instead of Euros 700 million per annum. “Now how would that make a difference to their lifestyle?”
For an industry and its clientele far more horrified by 26/11 than by the economic downturn, security is a serious concern. Sen says the government is taking this concern very seriously and will provide the necessary support for their joint venture.
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