Panaji: The Maharaja Express – a luxury train operated by IRCTC – may operate on a new route from Delhi to Kerala next year to facilitate tourists to enjoy the beauty of the monsoon in southwest India, a minister said on Saturday.

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu, who was in Goa to launch a series of projects undertaken by his ministry, said that a special holiday train would also be introduced in December, considered the peak tourist month in Goa.

"We will start this train (Maharaja Express) also from Delhi, Mumbai, Konkan, Goa, maybe up to Kerala. The idea will be that a lot of people will be able to enjoy the Goa monsoons. It is not the peak season, but we can get more tourists here so that they can get better hotel prices here," Prabhu said.

Prabhu said that currently the Maharaja Express, which travels on five routes as of now, is non-operational during summer due to the scorching heat and that the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) would operationalise the new route along the Konkan region.

The Maharaja Express is one of the most luxurious trains and a single journey can cost up to Rs.2.5 lakh ($4,000).

Prabhu also added that in order to cater to the rush of tourists during December — a peak tourist season — the Indian Railways was contemplating a special holiday train which will operate on the Delhi-Mumbai-Goa route.

(IANS)