Palace on Wheels

The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation to promote tourism in Rajasthan.[1]

Palace on Wheels
Logo of the Palace on Wheels
Entered service26 January 1982 (1982-01-26)
Operator(s)Indian Railways
Line(s) servedNew Delhi - Jaipur - Udaipur - Bharatpur - Agra - New Delhi
Palace on Wheels at Jaipur railway station.

The train service was refurbished and relaunched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and cuisine.[2]

History

The Palace on Wheels started on 26 January 1982.[3]

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, Baroda, the Nizam of Hyderabad and mainly the Viceroy of British India.[4][5]

Interiors

Each saloon highlights the cultural ethos of the state, represented through the use of furniture, handicrafts, painting and furnishings. Delhi-based interior designer Payal Kapoor did the interiors of the train.[6]

Facilities

There are 23 coaches in the train. 104 tourists can travel in train. Each coach 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.[7] Each coach has four cabins (named chambers or saloons by the company) with luxury amenities and Wi-Fi internet.[8][9] The train has two restaurants, The Mahārāja and The Mahārāni, with a Rajasthani ambience serving continental, Chinese cuisine, one bar-cum-lounge, 14 saloons and a spa.[9]

The Palace on Wheels at a halt in Agra

Route

The train has a 7 nights & 8 days itinerary departs from New Delhi (Day 1), and covers Jaipur (Day 2), Sawai Madhopur and Chittaurgarh (Day 3), Udaipur (Day 4), Jaisalmer (Day 5), Jodhpur (Day 6), Bharatpur and Agra (Day 7), return to New Delhi (Day 8).[10]

See also

References
  1. "NPalace on wheels - Exclusive Indian train was originally used by royalty". Times of India. 13 October 2012. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012.
  2. "New-look Palace on Wheels set to chug off on Aug 5". Times of India. 2 August 2009.
  3. "Rated No. 4 luxury Train in the world". ThePalaceonWheels.org. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  4. "From the luxurious Palace on Wheels to the spiritual Mahaparinirvan Express: 8 extraordinary train journeys you must experience with the Indian Railways". IBNLive. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  5. "History of the Palace on Wheels | Luxury Train Travel in India". Palacesonwheels.com. 26 January 1982. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  6. "A lavish touch". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. 25 February 2012.
  7. Have a look at the coaches (four pages)
  8. "Watch Dish TV on Palace on Wheels". DNA.
  9. "feature of world famous royal train palace on wheels". www.bhaskar.com. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  10. Train Route
  • Website of Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (RTDC), a Government Of Rajasthan Undertaking
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