Paper:10, Tourism Products of India

Module: 39, and Tourism

Principal Investigator Prof. S P Bansal Vice Chancelor Indira Gandhi University, Meerpur, Rewari,

Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Prashant K Gautam Director, UIHMT Panjab University, Chandigarh

Paper Coordinator Dr. Prashant K Gautam Director, UIHMT Panjab University, Chandigarh

Dr. Arun Singh Thakur Content Writer Assistant Professor, University Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management Panjab University, Chandigarh

Content Reviewer Prof. S P Bansal Vice Chancelor Indira Gandhi University, Meerpur, Rewari, Haryana

ITEMS DESCRIPTION OF MODULE Subject Name Tourism & Hospitality Paper Name Tourism Products of India Module Title Indian Railways and Tourism Module Id Module No-34 Pre- Requisites Knowledge about the Mountain Ranges in India

Objectives To acquire the knowledge about the famous passes and peaks of India.

Keywords Tourism, Mountain Peak, Mountain Pass.

QUADRANT- I MODULE 39:INDIAN RAILWAYS AND TOURISM 1. LEARNING OUTCOMES 2. INTRODUCTION 3. ABOUT INDIAN RAILWAYS 4. INDIAN RAILWAYS AND TOURISM INDUSTRY 5. MOUNTAIN RAILWAYS OF INDIA 6. LUXARY TOURIST TRAINS 7. OTHER HIGH SPEED TRAINS AND SOME PASSENGER TRAINS 8. SUMMARY

1. Learning Outcomes

Present module focuses upon highlighting the importance of Indian Railways for promotion and development of tourism. After studying this unit you will be able to;

1. Understand the role of Indian Railways in tourism development;

2. Know about the various heritage and mountain railways;

3. Know about the other trains which are popular among the tourists in India.

2. Introduction

Tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the world economy with the enormous potential further to generate employment and the growth of the service sector. Earlier the most of the tourist arrivals were there in the developed countries but now the term is for the developing countries to share the growth of the tourism industry. It is due to the result of the economic development globally. Tourism products have now become a commodity which is sold through the retail outlets and the departmental stores even in many developed countries. The motivational factors and the reasons for travel to changed over the period of time. In India the tourism industry is also instrumental in the growth pattern due to the increased disposable income, socio economic development of the country, increase level of education and information and communication technology advancements. The input of the government in the form of Incredible India Campaign, Atithi Devo Bhava and provision of enhanced finance in the annual budget is other factors for the development of tourism industry in India. The development in the infrastructure with the public private partnership also provided the input for the India's sustained growth in the tourism sector.

3. About Indian Railways

Indian Railways is the fourth largest Railway network in the world having 119630 km of total track with running track of 92081 km a route of 66687 km. Indian Railways is also considered the backbone of transport system within the country. It is owned by the government through Ministry of Railways and is the largest single employer within the country and 8th largest employer in the world. According to the latest data, there are around 7216 stations and Railways

carry 8.1 billion passengers annually which accounts for 22 million passengers in a day and 1.1 million tons of freight in a year. If we look back at the history the Railways in India was introduced in the year 1830 for freight purposes and it was only in the year 1853 the first passenger train ran from Bombay to Thane.

4. Indian Railways and Tourism Industry

The tourism in India cannot be possible without the train journey since it is a commonly used mode of public transportation in the country. Trains are not only cheaper and reliable mode of transport in India but also touch almost all important and less important places of tourism. They encourage tourism by offering different promotional schemes, tour packages, special trains, charter trains, luxurious trains, coaches to tourist domestic as well as foreign. In the country like India having a vast geographical structure, it cannot be possible to have a sustainable growth of tourism without Railways as a mode of transportation within the destinations in the country. Railways throughout the world offer a Mass Rapid Transport System. These are considered to be the most cost effective, convenient and ecofriendly transport system which can cover longer distances while providing enriching experience of travel. To explore the tourist resources of India Indian Railways is the best option that’s vast network spreads all over the country and connecting most of the destinations. The large network also provides enriching experience to the tourist giving an opportunity to interact with the local people and also to have the glimpses of the countryside during the journey. It is worthwhile to say that Indian Railways is the lifeline of the nation and while playing an important role in transporting people from one place to another on the same time it played a very significant role in the transportation of the goods all over the country. There is a tremendous role played by the Railways in providing the primary transport for all type of tourist be it International or domestic. Indian Railway also played a significant role by offering promotional schemes from time to time, tour packages, running special tourist train, chartered trains which provide the glimpses of Indian culture and tradition to the tourist boarding them. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation is the wing of Indian Railways which provide a wide range of luxury services to the tourist travelling within India. For catering the need of the tourism industry Indian Railway run many tourist trains and the special category superfast trains along with the mountain railways in the different parts of the country.

The exclusive services of trains offered by Indian Railways are as under;

 Rail tour packages

 Bharat Darshan tour packages

 Educational tour packages

 Hill Charter packages

 Luxury tourist trains

 Buddhist circuit special tourist trains

5. Mountain Railways of India

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The Indian Mountain Railways one of the few narrow gauge lines in the world. These were built during the British Colonial rule in the 19th and early 20th century and since then their catering to the needs of the local people and the tourist. They are 6 in number including the Kashmir Railway which was operational since 2005 across India and Indian Railways run them. They are;

 Nilgiri Mountain Railways (constructed in 1908)

 The mountain Railway (built in 1898)

 Kashmir Railways (built in 2005)

Railway (built in 1924)

 Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (built in 1881)

We will discuss very briefly about these railways along with some other mountain railways hereunder:

 Nilgiri Mountain Railways

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Out of the 6 mountain Railways in India the Nilgiri Mountain Railways is the only one constructed on meter gauge and probably it is the most advanced in terms of technological aspects. This Railway passes through the beautiful Nilgiri Hills in Tamilnadu and having single track of 46 km length. This track was initially proposed in 1854 but due to the challenges offered by the topography the work only started in the year 1891 which was completed in 1908. The Uphill journey in the took around 5 hours which process through 16 channels and 250 bridges. These Railways is having the achievement of the tag given by UNESCO as World Heritage site in July 2005.

 The Kalka Shimla mountain Railway

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Shimla was the summer capital of the Britishers and in the present scenario is the famous destination for the holiday makers. Out of many attractions the one major attraction is the journey on board heritage Kalka Shimla railway. It was built in 1898 and covers the distance of 96 km crossing over 864 bridges and through 102 tunnels. This Himalayan railway line also enjoys the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site. This train immediately climbs after it starts from Kalka railway station and whistling through the Deodar, Pine and Oak trees with the speed of 22 km per hour it took around 4 and half hours to reach Shimla.

 Kashmir Railways

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The recently constructed strategically important Railways by the government of India is the Kashmir mountain Railways. The official name of this Railway is 'Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar- Baramulla Railway link and it connects Kashmir with the rest of the country. The project of the Kashmir Railway was declared a national project in 2002 considering the inhospitable terrain which presented the extreme challenges to this engineering project.

 Kangra valley Railway

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The Kangra valley railway line covers a distance of 163 km from Pathankot to Jogindernagar. The selection by the creators indeed praiseworthy as the Railways crosses over the magnificence of the scenery, majesty of the northern mountain barriers, the beauty of its grandeur of the streams and the religious places in the Kangra valley. This mountain Railway run through a track of 142 km which encounter steep slopes and 971 uniquely designed bridges along with 2 tunnels also. The journey to the train also provides the spectacular view of the Dhauladhar range.

 Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

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One of the most famous trains in India is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway which connects the town of New Jalpaiguri with Darjeeling. The journey process through the breathtaking landscapes, orchids and beautiful lush green tea gardens. This train runs on the world's narrowest track that is 2 feet among all the narrow gauge lines in the world. UNESCO has conferred the status of World Heritage site to Darjeeling Himalayan Railway which is really a tourist's delight

in 1999. The total length of the track is 88 km which goes to the elevation of 2200 m at Darjeeling from 100 m in Siliguri. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway also offers charter trips on demand to the tourist and it is also high in demand for the film makers.

 South-East Railways

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With a total route length of 7400 km, and meandering through six mineral states of , Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, , Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra with diverse language, culture, customs and traditions, South Eastern Railway epitomizes the true spirit of India – bringing unity in diversity. It encompasses a magnificent region, a veritable melting pot of fascinating cultures, history, folklores and people. Talking about the place of tourist interest in South East India, one cannot escape the majesty of the mountain ranges, the beauty of its landscapes, the richness of the flora and fauna or the picturesqueness of golden sea beaches that dot the map of South East Railway. This is a land teeming with hoary traditions and ageless history kept alive in carved stones, stuccoes and marbles. Ruins of ancient cities, temples, forts, mosques of yore bear mute testimony to the glorious history and rich cultural heritage of this region.

 Eastern Railway

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Our country is the favorite playground of the God Almighty. It is this land which has, perhaps the oldest history of civilization, the glorious achievements of the mankind and natural beauties. The sheer view of all, these fill the heart with a fountain of joy. This is perhaps the reason why our country has attracted many a celebrity from all over the world from ancient times. We all nurse the intention of enjoying the beauty to our heart‘s content. But the people in general do not have either the means or the capabilities to travel to all those places on their own. Indian Railways have laid its tracks connecting various corners of the beautiful country to act as the bridge between such intention andcapabilities. That is why the railway is not only a transport mode; it is indeed everybody‘s companion (Indian Railways, Nov., 1999). South-Central Railway: The South Central Railway covers an extensive network stretching across the Deccan Peninsula from Bay of Bengal in the east of Arabian Sea on the west traversing through a region richly steeped in tradition providing a many splendored panorama of history, art, religion and culture. The network which traverses through the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa besides a small stretch of Madhya Pradesh and beckons tourists to encounter an enlightened experience worth cherishing a life time, a passage through a journey that never ends (Sinha, 1999).

 Northern Railway

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The of Indian Railways is the largest amongst all the zones in size, covering as it does a route kilometer age of 11,023.03 kms. It also covers the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, , Haryana, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh along with significantly portions of and . The terrain that falls in Northern Railway is also varies from the mountainous Shivalik range to the undulating deserts of Thar, the lush Tarai region and the majestic Gangetic plains. The trains running on Northern Railway also serve one of the most densely populated regions of the country. In such a varied land, there are bound to be several places of tourist interest. Some of the most popular holiday resorts pilgrimage towns, historical places, modern cities, administrative centres and seats of learning of the country fall within this Zone. Northern Railway provides convenient train services to these destinations for all class of travelers. Some of these destinations may be reached directly by a train, while for others; the passengers mayneed to use road transport from the most conveniently located rail-head (Mehta, 1999).

6. Luxury Tourist Trains

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/theluxurytrains-ppt-110702061846-phpapp01/95/the-luxury- trains-of-india-ppt-1-728.jpgAs we discussed earlier in this module that Indian Railways in association with its wing Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) operates luxury tourist trains specifically catering to the need of high end inbound tourist. The marketing and promotion part of these luxury tourist trains is done by IRCTC whereas the operations part is handled by the Indian Railways. Here in this part of module will discuss about these luxury tourist trains in brief;

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The Palace on Wheels is the benchmark and probably the most popular luxury train of India among the foreign nationals. The prime motive for its launch is to promote tourism in Rajasthan and it remained popular since its launch and again it was refurbished and relaunched in 2009 with all new decor and luxury standards. The concept of the train was derived from the coaches of the rulers in the past and interior was designed in such a way to give the feel of the royal along with the latest amenities like satellite television, music, Wi-Fi, attached toilet, running hot and cold water, personal attendants, air conditioning and almost all those things which is the demand of the luxury.

 The Maharaja express

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The Maharajas Express is a luxury train that is owned and operated by IRCTC which runs on 5 circuits covering more than 12 destinations in the North West and central India. Two of which started from Delhi includes visit to Taj Mahal and the Golden Temple and the remaining three itineraries are for the Pan India. This train is voted 5 times for the world's leading Luxury train during world travel award from 2012 till 2016 and it is the most expensive luxury train in the world. The Maharaja Express started its operations in 2010 having 23 carriages which include accommodation, dining, bar, fine dining restaurant, Business Centre etc. and it can carry 84 passengers at a time.

 The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels

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After the success of Palace on Wheel on the similar terms this train was introduced to give a feel of the royalness of the Rajasthan to the tourist. It was launched in 2009 by the Indian Railways and covers the attractions Hawa Mahal, Moti Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Ranthambore National Park Fort, Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Agra fort and Taj Mahal.

 The

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This is a Luxury train which runs in the Western Ghats of the peninsular India. It runs between Karnataka and Goa and named after stone chariot Vithala temple at Hampi. The Golden Chariot operates weekly with 19 coaches in the train which are colored in gold with logo of a mythological animal having the head of an elephant and a body of a lion. This train started its operations in 2008 and is run by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation. The coaches of the train and named after the dynasties that ruled the region and having the amenities matching to a good five star hotel.

 The

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The royal Orient takes the tourist for the majestic journey of and Rajasthan which are the states of historically and culturally vibrancy. This is a seasonal train which runs from September to April and starts journey from Delhi every Wednesday.

 The

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The Fairy Queen provides the glimpses of the history to the tourist as it uses the treasure chest of Indian Railways in the form of its steam engine which is 145 years old and is the oldest locomotive working on steam in the world. This train provides first class accommodation to 60 passengers and takes them to an unforgettable two day weekend trip from Delhi to on selected days. The itinerary also includes a visit to the Tiger Reserve Sariska.

 The

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The concept of Deccan Odyssey is also taken from the palace on wheels to boost tourism in the Maharashtra by the Indian Railway. This train is a joint venture of Government of India, Ministry of Railways and government of Maharashtra. Besides covering the tourist destinations this train also provides a five star accommodation on wheels having two restaurants, a bar, sauna, business centre and other luxury manatees on board. Deccan Odyssey covers the tourist destinations in the Western Ghats, Deccan Plateau and the Konkan region.

7. Other High Speed Trains and Some Passenger Trains

 The is a category of long distance trains run by the Indian Railways. The special feature of these trains is that they run non-stop from source to destination, barring technical halts.

 The is a passenger train service in India connecting New Delhiwithother state capitals. Rajdhani means "The Capital" in Hindi and other Indian Languages. These trains get the highest priority on the Indian railway network. They are fully air-conditioned. Passengers are served complimentary meals during the journey.

 The trains are a series of fast passenger trains operated by Indian Railways to connect Metro cities with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business. Shatabdi Express are day-trains and they return to the station of origin the same day.

is India's first semi high speed train that runs betweenDelhiandAgrain India. It operates at a maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) and is the fastest train in India. The train takes 100 minutes to cover the 188 km journey from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantonment.

is India’s first semi-high speed full AC train fleet introduced by Indian Railways, featuring newer modern on-board facilities. The inaugural run of Tejas Express was on 24 May 2017 from Mumbai CST to Karmali, Goa. It covered 551.7 kms in 8 hours and 30 minutes.

 The is a more affordable variety of the Shatabdi Express, which has both AC and non-AC accommodation.The word 'Jan' refers to common people. It used to have on board catering service, later on the services were removed.

 Metro rails: The first rapid transit system in India was the Metro, which started operations in 1984. The first elevated mass rapid transit system in India is the MRTS, which started operations in 1995. The was the first modern metro in India. The Mumbai Monorail, which opened on 7 February 2014 is the first monorail in India, since the closing of the Patiala State Monorail Trainways in 1927.

is a tri-weekly superfast express operated by Indian Railwaysin India, which runs between the cities of Varanasi and New DelhiviaMoradabad, Lucknow, Sultanpur & Jaunpur city.

8. Summary

It is only the special tourist trains in India which are very popular among the international tourist and there is not much to complain about them. These luxury trains can only cater to the needs of only few so in the conclusion we can suggest some improvements in other trains that might be used by large number of tourists in the times to come. Since very low percentage of foreign tourists is using the facilities like Rail tour packages, the special efforts are needed and foreign tourists come to India for the purpose of leisure, recreations and holidays so in this context, additional hospitality measures like playing movies, reception at stations in local manner, provision of special waiting halls etc. results more enjoyable experience may be provided to them. Though, it is good that most of tourists visit India due to good word of mouth of their friends & relatives. The role of Electronic or Print media and travel agents need to be increased. Running Tourism Promotion Campaigns on international channels may be a good idea. Further different promotional schemes for travel agents like sponsoring their trips to other countries on achieving a specified target may also improve the volume of tourists in India. It was found that young tourists were more aware about foreign tourist quota and they were also availing more of this quota. Increased awareness may lead to increased use of facility. So, efforts should be made that all the foreign tourists who visit India are aware about the facilities provided to them by Indian Railways Approaching them at Airports at the time when they land up in India & Providing them an information booklet containing the facilities given by Indian Railways,

Helpline numbers and other related information may lead to an increased use of the facilities such as foreign quota Safety and security is another issue. Increasing the number of security personnel in trains as well as at stations, installation of spy camera, entry and exit of persons after proper scanning and separate coaches for foreign tourists are some of the steps which may be applied in this regard. Railways also need to take immediate action to improve its catering and water management.