An inside view of Maharaja Express Royal Train

Patna, Oct. 22: Be ready to get the feel of heaven on wheels.

The country’s most luxurious and expensive train — Maharaja Express Royal Train — will touch Bihar soon. The train, a joint venture between IRCTC and Cox and Kings India Ltd, is the newest addition to the already impressive range of Indian luxury trains.

IRCTC regional manager, Patna, A.K. Jha said: “Booking has already started for the train’s inaugural run. Of the total 100 seats, only 30 seats are available now. Travelling in Maharaja Express will be an experience. Its opulence and inbuilt amenities give the feel of a five-star hotel. The train has five deluxe carriages, six junior suite carriages and two suite carriages. The train also has a presidential suite in one exclusive carriage. The presidential suite is equipped with two fine dining restaurants, a bar, a lounge, games table and a club.”

Jha added: “Tickets for the Maharaja Express Royal Train cannot be booked at regular booking counters. It has to be booked only from IRCTC regional office or the IRCTC website. The train has 23 coaches — 12 for passengers and 11 for utilities. The Taj Group of Hotel will maintain the restaurants. The passengers will also be accommodated at Hotel Taj during the overnight stay.”

Jha said the train would run twice a month. The train, on its first journey on November 28, will leave from Safdarjung station in Delhi and will travel up to Calcutta. The seven day-eight night journey from Delhi to Calcutta will include visits to Agra, Gwalior, Khajuraho, Bandhavgarh, Varanasi and Gaya. The train will touch Gaya on December 3.

On its second journey, the super luxury train will travel from Delhi to Mumbai.

A.K. Jha said: “Maharaja Express has four separate itineraries like Princely India tour, Royal India tour, Classical India tour and Celestial India tour. The departure dates is separate for each itinerary. The journey tariff per adult starts from Rs 2.6 lakh. It is for Deluxe Cabin Twin. The charges for Presidential Suite journey is Rs 9.6 lakh.”

Talking about the luxury facilities on the train, Jha said: “It has all the state-of-the-art facilities. It has amenities from climate control in passengers’ cabins to eco-friendly toilet. There is direct telephone facility in every cabin. This train is the ultimate in luxurious travel.

“Each cabin is equipped with large windows so that the passengers can watch fleeting frames of the country peeping out through them. LCD televisions, DVD players, Internet and many others facilities are also available. Passengers can also watch movies to entertain themselves. Each cabin is fitted with its own electronic safe deposit box. In short, I can say, you name it and the facility is there,” he added.

Jha said: “I hope that Maharaja Express will live up to its expectation. It will be an incredible journey for all the passengers. They will surely cherish this journey for a lifetime.”