NEW DELHI: The railways has registered a sharp decline in the booking of a full-length of the chartered train, the coaches and luxurious saloon by private parties and other government bodies for the special occasion in the last three years.
As per the railways' data, only 1,151 railway coaches and the luxurious rail saloons were booked during the past three years in the country by the individuals, the parties and the government bodies for special utility. A full-length charted train or separate one or two coaches and luxurious railway saloon are booked by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) through a single online window booking system of railways for any individual or the party or the government body for the special utility.
According to official railway figures, 570 coaches and rail salons were booked only during 2018-19 which further dwindled to 511 in 2019-20 and only 70 in 2020-21.
The decline in the booking of the charted trains or its coaches and rail saloon was exposed when the railway minister shared details recently responding to a query of a member in Lok Sabha. The minister also shared data that only 41,221 passengers travelled in a total of 570 coaches and saloons booked during 2018-19.
In the same way, only 38,699 passengers travelled to various destinations by only 511 booked coaches and rail saloons in 2019-20.
“In 2020-21, only 4347 passengers travelled in by only 70 booked rail coaches and saloons in the country," the railway minister said in the Lok Sabha.
Now, the booking of luxurious rail saloon, which is called a ‘moving house’ on the wheel, has been allowed to individuals also for special family or private purposes by the railway after a revision in the booking policy in 2018 for promoting ‘ Saloon tourism’.
At present, the railway has 336 saloon cars, each equipped with two bedrooms, a kitchenette and dining facilities, across its all zones. “Despite all this, the booking has not picked up that has become a serious concern for commercial point of view to the railways," said a senior official preferring anonymity.
And the same situation was registered in the booking of charted trains for special purpose during the last three years also. In 2018-19, only 312 charted trains were booked by individuals, the parties and the government for special movement. In 2019-20 also, only 149 charted trains were booked followed by the extremely poor booking of only charted trains 25 in 2020-21."
Spokesperson of IRCTC Anand K Jha told this daily that the booking of charted train, coaches or the rail saloon to an individual or the party or government’s other department depends on the availability of rakes of charted trains, coaches and the rail saloon in the concerned zones.