Chennai-based SRMPR Group and Kochi-based Princy World Travel Limited are teaming up to launch group tours via trains from Kerala to popular destinations like Goa, Mumbai, and Ayodhya. These tours, operating under the Indian Railways Bharat Gaurav scheme, will kick off on June 4 with a four-day Thiruvananthapuram-Goa tour package. The SRMPR Group has secured leases for trains from Indian Railways, with operations in Kerala overseen by a Kochi-based firm. E.X. Baby Thomas, Managing Director of Princy World Travel Limited, emphasized that the packages cater to various travel preferences, including leisure, business, and pilgrimage.
Passengers have the option to reserve private train journeys to three prominent destinations from Kerala, either individually or as a group of up to 600 passengers. The inaugural journey, departing from Thiruvananthapuram on June 4 bound for Madgaon in Goa, offers a four-day tour package with three pricing tiers. These packages cover accommodation, meals, sightseeing, and additional services such as off-board travel, excursions via buses, hotel stays, tour guides, meals, and travel insurance. Plans are in place to introduce approximately 12 trains from Kerala, with new routes to be added once the initial routes gain popularity.
The trains, introduced on a trial basis, will feature limited stops and strict access control, allowing only ticketed passengers on board. Each train will be staffed with a team of 60, including paramedics and pantry staff, ensuring passenger safety and comfort. Equipped with CCTV cameras and WiFi, the trains will offer boarding from various key locations in Kerala, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasaragod.