History of Palace On Wheels

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History

Palace on Wheels started its journey (inaugural) for the first time in January 1982, under the aegis of Rajasthan Tourism and Indian Railways. Infact, the train was a joint effort on the part of Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, Indian Railways, Tourism Department of Rajasthan and Government of India. As per the Palace of Wheels history, it was launched with a view to provide the tourists of Rajasthan with an unforgettable experience. Read on to know more about the origin and history of Palace on Wheels, India…



The coaches used for the purpose of Palace on Wheels were earlier originally meant to be the personal railway coaches of the people from royalty. They comprised of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Gujarat and Rajputana, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India. After independence, Indian Railways did not utilize these coaches for a long time, because of their exquisite and traditional interiors.

On 26th January 1982, Palace on Wheels started its inaugural trip as the first of its kind luxury train. The train started operating on a regular basis from October 1982. The old train was replaced by the new, air-conditioned Palace of Wheels, in the year 1991. It comprised of 13 salons, 2 restaurants, a kitchen car, a bar-cum-lounge and 4 service cars. Numerous renovations were carried later on. Today, Palace on Wheels rates amongst the top ten luxury trains of the world.