Train operators in India are bemoaning the high haulage charges and asking Indian Railyways to reduce it, a move which would lower fares and attract more tourists.The Rajdhani, a superfast luxury train has to pay INR600 per km to the Indian Railways. When it comes to the Golden Chariot, the charge is over INR2,000 per km, amounting to between INR38 lakh to INR40 lakh per trip, Daily News and Analysis reported.Expressing this concern, Srinivas M, project director, Golden Chariot, was quoted saying: “It generally takes at least five to seven years for projects like this to break even. The government should consider the first few years post-launch and give us a rebate in the haulage.”The distance covered by Pride of South, run by the Golden Chariot, is 1,881 km and that by Southern Splendour, which covers most of South India, is 2,331 km.”Moreover, the haulage charges are increasing every year and this year, the rate is INR2,000 per km. Thus, the cost comes up to around INR40 lakh. We need to pay another INR10 lakh to INR12 lakh to our hospitality partners,” he was reported saying.Deccan Odyssey, run by the Maharashtra government, and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels also face a similar crunch. The state tourism department, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation are taking up the matter with the Indian Railways.A meeting has been scheduled for this week. The report said The Golden Chariot received a rebate of 21.5% on the railway haulage in the first year of its launch. The fixed haulage charges, now applicable to the luxury trains, are “highly exorbitant and also increase from time to time”, the report said.”The calculation of haulage charges should be transparent and at reasonable levels and at marginal cost basis. Discounts of 21.5% should be extended to the initial eight years after the launch.”According to Srinivas, the maintenance cost of luxury trains was less as the interiors are maintained by the state boards and annual distance covered by luxury trains annually was less compared to normal passenger trains.The haulage for luxury trains should be calculated on marginal basis, according to state governments running luxurious trains.
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