The huge success of the first Indian luxury train, ‘The Deccan Odyssey,’ paved the way for the birth of another deluxe rail journey in the country’s southwestern part. A brainchild of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), Deccan Odyssey is the fruitful result of the relentless efforts of its visionary. The first proposal to launch a deluxe train tour in Maharashtra was made in the year 2001, and accordingly, the MTDC and the Indian Railway Ministry signed an MOU in the same year to turn this proposal into a reality.
The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) got a green signal from the Railway Board to start the work on Deccan Odyssey in the year 2002. It took ICF members around five months to finalize the design of this luxury rail in India. It was not a cakewalk for the designers to give shape to their vision; thus, a few more months were spent on its construction. The later part of the year 2003 saw the completion of this blue Limousine on wheels, and not to mention the embodiment of the designs stole everyone’s vision when it was placed into the tracks. Aligned with the best royal trains of the world, such as the Blue Train of South Africa or the Orient Express of Europe, the Deccan Odyssey was suffused with every modern facility contributing to making each luxury train tour to Maharashtra comfy and deluxe.
The dawn of 16th January 2004 brought a new turn to the Maharashtra tourism industry with the inaugural ceremony of the regal journey of Deccan Odyssey Indian from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Mumbai. The world-famous Taj Group of Hotels had also joined hands with Deccan Odyssey to offer the guests a 5-star hotel facility onboard. Special care has been taken to provide the guests with the warmest hospitality services they have ever expected.
Though not very old, the history of the Deccan Odyssey supports the saying that no barrier can ever control the human expectation to be fulfilled. The creative craftsman had turned what they visionaries had dreamt of into reality. Each of the 21 coaches of the Deccan Odyssey is celestially decorated, which gives an insight view of the elegant travelling style of the Maharajas of the bygone era.
All the destinations covered in a weeklong Maharashtra tour are sumptuously selected so that the tourists can witness the state’s vividness and traverse the diverse landscapes. It is certainly a surprise tour on the rolling wheels of the Deccan Odyssey that transports travellers to a world where everything is regal, elegant and brainstorming.