BANGALORE: The Golden Chariot, the only luxury train of South India, which was on the verge of closing down its operations due to outstanding dues, could be back on wheels as the railways has offered it a haulage discount for the next three years. However, it can only enjoy the benefits of the new discount policy if it clears its outstanding dues. Until then, Railways will not grant its approval for departure for this season that starts from September. The Golden Chariot struggled through under capacity (with an exception of just 2 trips) due to various reasons like terrorism, recession and swine flu, since its launch and eventually started to look promising. Not only is it a crowd puller for what it offers and has heritage value, it also provides employment to many local people. But all this is associated with a heavy haulage charge. What is pinching the establishment the most is the annual charge, which has gone up from `18.5 lakh to `30 lakh. Operating in the Deccan region, which is a popular attraction for many foreign tourists, the Golden Chariot is in a deadlock with the railways ministry over their outstanding dues of `6.5 crore. In a meeting with the Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa, which was held on August 9 in Delhi, the Golden Chariot team discussed the outstanding amount and sought discounts. The Railways extended it a discount of 30 to 33 per cent but they also made it clear that the Golden Chariot team has to pay the outstanding amount, failing which, Golden Chariot will not enjoy the benefits of the new discount policy.“The outcome of the meeting was partially positive where 21.5 per cent discount for 2010-2011 haulage charges were granted totaling up to 30-33 per cent over a period of three years. The `6.5 crore outstanding is a combination of recalculated haulage (2010-2011) of `1.6 crore, differential haulage claim for three years is `3.5 crore, differential claim on building train is `1.38 crore,” Srinivas M, Project Director, The Golden Chariot said.Srinivas further mentioned that they are ready to pay 50 per cent of the haulage claim for three years up front. Besides that, they have appointed a technical advisor to review the charges that Indian Coach Factory (ICF ) had levied on them after the delivery of the train, which appears to have overcharged for many components. Based on the outcome of the review, they are ready to settle the legible amount under this head. The memorandum will also be submitted to the chief minister to look into this matter.However, the good news is that while the luxury train Royal Rajasthan in Rajasthan took five years to break even, the Golden Chariot is confident of breaking even by end of 2013, the sources explained.
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