Introduction

The oriental aura and charm of traveling on Palace on Wheels is incomparable to any other travel experience one may have. Chugging along the rugged forts, ornamental palaces, and unending deserts through the arid landscape of Rajasthan - Palace on Wheels is a different world altogether. Every Wednesday evening, in the months of September through April, this special train, the Place on Wheels, drawn by a beautiful diesel engine leaves Delhi Cantonment Station for a seven day tour to explore historical Rajasthan, land of the warrior kings.

How it all Began?

The railways, like electricity, were one of the inventions the British used in India. While its early arrival and promote use may have been governed by the Raj's need to ferry troops rapidly through the length an breadth of the country, it was also clearly marketed as an innovation. The princes, therefore, were quick to seize the idea, and various states were able to establish their own networks for the movement of people within their state, and with linked towns around.

The Old Palace on Wheels

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. A tour was built as part of the fixed itinerary.

The New Palace on Wheels

But the Palace on Wheels had become so popular that there was 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 neighbouring state of Gujarat.