| The Palace on Wheels | |
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Logo of the Palace on Wheels |
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| Entered service | January 26, 1982 - present |
| Operator | Indian Railways |
The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways to promote tourism in Rajasthan, and has been highly popular since its launch.
Following its success, other luxury and tourist trains have been started on other routes in the country.
The train service was refurbished and relaunched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and cuisine.[1]
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The Palace on Wheels was started on January 26, India's Republic Day, in 1982.
The concept of the Palace on Wheels was derived from the royal background of the coaches, which were originally meant to be the personal railway coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India.
There are 14 coaches in the train. Each of them is named after former Rajput states and matches the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past: Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Dholpur, Dungargarh, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota, Sirohi and Udaipur.[2] Facilities include a bar[3] with selected Indian and international spirits, a lounge with a good collection of books, and a television and DVD player.
Each coach has four cabins (named chambers or saloons by the company) with twin beds[4], wall-to-wall carpeting, air-conditioning, DTH satellite television,[5] channel music, intercom, attached toilets, running hot and cold water, with personal attendants[6].
The train has two restaurants, The Mahārāja and The Mahārāni[7], with a Rajasthani ambience and serving continental, Chinese, Indian and Rajasthani cuisines.
The train departs from New Delhi and during its eight day journey, travels around Rajasthan with stops in Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur, and Agra.
Earlier, tickets for the Palace on Wheels were restricted to foreign nationals only by the Government of India, with Indian natives not allowed on board. However, it was later opened up to Indians as well, although even today tariffs are quoted in US Dollars.