Deccan Odyssey
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| Deccan Odyssey | |
|---|---|
 Deccan Odyssey logo | |
| In service | 2004–present |
| Manufacturer | Integral Coach Factory |
| Assembly | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Constructed | 2002–2003 |
| Entered service | 2004 |
| Capacity | 88 passengers |
| Operators | Indian Railways MTDC |
| Specifications | |
| Train length | 700 metres (2,300 ft) |
| Articulated sections | 21 |
The Deccan Odyssey is an Indian luxury train modeled on the Palace on Wheels luxury train and put into service to boost tourism on the Maharashtra route of the Indian Railways.[1][2][3] The train, owned by travel company Cox & Kings since 2014, takes visitors on a variety of seven night, eight day trips across Maharashtra.[4][5]
The Deccan Odyssey was deployed and started by Indian Railways and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corp in 2001 in an effort to increase tourism in Maharashtra.[6][7][8][2][3] Integral Coach Factory started construction in 2002 and finished in 2003.[8][9]
Its first trip departed on 16 January 2004 for a week-long maiden trip and was flagged off by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.[10][4][11] Due to lack of booking, later journeys in 2004 were suspended by the state government of Maharashtra. However, its operations restarted after the monsoon season.[12]
The train was briefly renamed the Indian Maharaja-Deccan Odyssey under Thomson Cook.[citation needed] It was not in service for the majority of the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to start operations again in October 2022.[needs update][13]
Traction and Coach Composition
since first run was blue paint themed ICF coaches, when the service reopened in 2022 they get a new coat of paint for this coach was red-blue. And it was hauled by both diesel and electric locomotives like WDP-4 and WAP-4
Design and amenities
_Welcome_ceremony_for_The_Deccan_Odyssey_guests_(32065545283).jpg)
Design
The train is 700 metres (2,300 ft)-long and painted in royal blue. It gets its name from the Deccan Plateau which is located in Maharashtra.[2][11][13] The design is meant to emulate the luxuries enjoyed by 16th century Maharajas.[3][13] The train has 21 coaches, each named after places in Maharashtra and can accommodate up to 88 passengers.[14][2]
Amenities
Suite amenities include an en suite bathroom, Wi-Fi, a TV, and a cell phone "with all emergency numbers fed in."[15] Guests are serviced by an onboard butler and each suite is marked with a custom nameplate.[16] In addition to accommodation amenities, the train is fully air-conditioned and has a small gym, a spa, salon, library, foreign exchange services, a bar, and a conference room, which can be converted into a dance floor.[15][4][17][13][2][18]
There are two restaurants in the train, Waavar and Utsav, which are managed by Taj Hotels.[13][15][3][19]
