Mumbai: A family from Andheri has become the first in Mumbai to book a luxurious saloon to celebrate their son’s 10th birthday by travelling from Mumbai to Goa by the Netravati Express. The saloon coach is being used by the general manager and top officials of the railway for inspection duty at present.

Railway officials said that the family was a fan of the railway which is why they had decided to celebrate their son’s birthday in the saloon coach. However, they had also requested not to divulge their identity.

The saloon coach will be added to Netravati Express –16345 which will depart on November 10 from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Railway Station at 11:40 am.

An IRCTC official said, “The saloon coach will be detached from the Netravati Express on the same day at Madgaon at 11.00 pm. The saloon coach has been booked at the cost of Rs 2.20 lakh per day. If one stays for two days, he will have to pay an additional Rs 24,000.”

He said that while returning, the saloon coach would be added with the Netravati Express on November 12. The saloon had two bedrooms. Four people could stay leisurely. However, if additional beds were arranged at the reception, eight to ten people could stay in the saloon coach.

Arvind Malkhede, group general manager of IRCTC Western Zone, said, “The IRCTC looks to more and more such bookings to saloon by the public for personal leisure trips and other official trips.”