2nd September, 2003
Ministry of Railways  


PALACE ON WHEELS TRAIN BEGINS ITS JOURNEY ON SEPTEMBER 3


The super luxury Palace-on-Wheels train, a joint venture of Indian Railways and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, begins its commercial operation from September 3, 2003. It will terminate on the last Wednesday of April 2004.

The Palace-on-Wheels train, which comprises 22 coaches including two power cars, provides a splendid and enchanting royal journey through the bygone era of the erstwhile Maharajas of Rajasthan, the Taj and Fatehpur Sikri in eight days and seven nights. It starts every Wednesday at 6.30 p.m. from Delhi Cantt. Station and returns there on next Wednesday morning.

During its eight-day journey in royal splendour, the Palace-on-Wheels takes tourists to the Pink City of Jaipur, Jaisalmer (the jewel of desert), majestic Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur for the wilderness of Ranthambore National Park, divinely enchanting Chittaurgarh, Udaipur with its picturesque lakes and palaces, Bharatpur with its lively Keoladeo Ghana bird sanctuary, the red stone city of Fatehpur Sikri and, the Taj Mahal in Agra.

The 14 coaches of the Palace-on-Wheels, each coach named after the princely states of Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Dholpur, Durgapur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota, Sirohi and Udaipur, has typical ambience of grandeur and royalty of the respective Maharajas.

The Palace-on-Wheels train, first started in January 1982, has carried 37591 tourists in 611 trips upto April 2003.

It is a flagship of India’s tourism and a last word in personalized hospitality, care and comfort.