History of Palace on Wheels
It was in the eighties when Indian Railway and Rajasthan Tourism decided to
work together on a project to resurrect some of these forgotten symbols of
its historic heritage. Thirteen carriages from different princely states
were brought together and refurbished, and the Palace on Wheels was
launched. A superb train that evoked the past with modern facilities and
created a journey that was on offer to people around the world-wannabe
princes who could be royals for their week of the journey.
For,
along with the restored carriages-some still glowing with their original
teakwood panels intact-came liveried attendants, royal repasts from the
attached kitchen, a lounge, and a dining car. The Palace on Wheels had
become so popular and there is and would always be resistance to any move to
discontinue it.
The result was a spanking new train that
faithfully recreated the old one, but much more comfortable, and intended to
provide a smoother ride. However, this too was on the meter gauge being used
for yet another exotic journey in the form of the Royal Orient Express that
travels from Delhi to parts of Rajasthan, but is used primarily to discover
the neighboring state of Gujarat.
The Palace On Wheels started as a unique holiday train hauled by a steam
engine with its inaugural trip on 26th January, 1982. It started to roll on
its regular operations from October 1982.
The Palace on Wheels, on broad gauge, is clearly the pride of the Indian
Railways. It is luxurious, and it is modern. The coaches have different
names derived from the former princely states and that provides the link for
the coat of arms and the decor inside.
Within each carriage are
comfortable of showers, built-in wardrobes with full-length mirrors,
overhead and night-lights, piped music, service bells and public address
system. The rooms and corridors are carpeted, the furniture inlaid and
upholstered especially for the train. Blinds drape large windows, which
frame views across the desert and the passing arid landscape. At the end of
each coach is a lounge.
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Guest
Comments -----Original
Message----- Name: Baumgartner, Daniela
Country: ------
Email: daniela.baumgartner@csfb.com
Tour: Colorful Rajasthan & Goa
Customized Tour
Hello Durjay,
We would like to thank
you for the excellent journey which you organized. Everything was well done
and we really enjoyed our time in India.Our driver Kailash is a very nice
person and he drove us carefully through the country. For our next journey
we would like to hire him again. The hotels were good and clean and the
service satisfying.The guides who joined us daily explained us very well the
sightseeing places.
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