The Deccan Odyssey is a special luxury train modelled on the Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on the Konkan route of the Indian Railways. The route starts in Mumbai and travels to Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Belgaum, Kolhapur, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ajanta-Ellora and then back to Mumbai.[1]
It is a venture of the Maharashtra Government and the Ministry of Railways, Government of India.[2] In addition to being a train that touches tourist spots, this aims to be a complete 5-star hotel on wheels, with two restaurants and a bar, a sauna, business centre and other such amenities on board. The coaches fitted with special amenities were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.
In 2004, the Maharashtra government stopped its run of the Deccan Odyssey, citing poor response, but restarted it after the monsoon season.
The duration of the tour is 7 nights, starting every Wednesday from Mumbai.