Deccan Odyssey chugs its way to profit

One of Asia’s best luxury trains , the Deccan Odyssey, has earned record profits for the first time since its inauguration in 2004. The train registered a net profit of INR 65.4 lakhs last season after churnining losses one season after another for the first 8 years. 

The Odyssey had started with a loss of Rs. 31 lakhs to its name and had been doing only marginally well of late. A further investment of Rs. 18.79 crores was made to fund the train tours. A total of 52 lakhs had to be paid by the train as haulage charges for using 21 coaches in a single tour.

MTDC managing director Jagdish Patil said, “The train had a lot of potential, but it takes time to establish a luxury product like this. We have even appointed worldwide General Sales Agents (GSA) for the train. But the train operations took a hit following the 26/11 terror attacks, and safety was a major concern for us. But our aggressive marketing efforts have revived the train. We have started pan-India tours, and also requested the railways to reduce the haulage charges.” Read More.........