Jaisalmer : The royal train ‘Palace on Wheels’, which gives the experience of a palace on wheels, will reach Jaisalmer on September 29 on the first round of the season. The Palace on Wheels, which was started on 26 January 1982, was privatized last year after 41 years. Private company Crew Construction is operating it. It is worth noting that for the last few years, the interest of tourists towards the Palace on Wheels is seen to be decreasing. It was closed for two years due to foreign tourists not coming to India during Covid. It was started in 2022 but only 11 rounds were operated in the entire season. Every year it was given a new look by the Railways keeping the tourists in mind.
Online booking started
But after analysing the income of the last few years, the railway handed over its command to a private company. This time also, after making changes in the palace of wheels, online booking has been started. It is operated from September to April every year. This train will depart from Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station on 25 September and reach Jaisalmer on 29 September. About five years ago, radical changes were made in this train, in which all the 41 bathrooms of the train were renovated and bio-toilets were installed. Both the restaurants of the royal train were equipped with new designs and the furniture of the train was also changed. Apart from this, the lighting has also been changed along with painting the outside and inside of the train, so that the tourists can feel the royal style journey in the royal train. Along with this, local famous dishes including Dal-Baati Churma were added to the main food menu.
Popularity has declined over the years
The journey of Palace on Wheels is quite expensive. It is the first choice of most of the foreign tourists. But for the last few years, the graph of foreign tourists has been decreasing. Earlier, this train was getting 100 percent booking. But after this, it started declining. About five years ago, only 3500 passengers traveled in it in the entire season. Since then, this figure has been continuously falling.
Covid had shown its effect
Just before Covid, the number of tourists travelling in this train could not even touch the figure of 2500. After which it was closed for two years due to Covid. After Covid, it was definitely started in 2022. But due to only 50 percent booking in the entire season, it was closed after running only 11 rounds.
Palace on Wheels running for 42 years
The Palace on Wheels, which started in 1982, has been running for 42 years. This royal train is especially liked by foreign tourists. This train was started for the first time on 26 January 1982. For years, the royal train has been giving the tourists from India and abroad a royal experience. However, every year this train used to depart on Wednesday of September and used to run till April. This year, this train, which will depart on the fourth Wednesday of September, will make 32 trips in this season.
The train will reach Jaisalmer on 29 September
When this train reaches Jaisalmer station on 29th September, this train will be given a royal welcome. After which the tourists will be seated in luxury buses parked outside for sight seeing and will be taken on a tour of various historical forts, mansions, Gadisar Lake of Jaisalmer. All the tourists will also enjoy the velvety dunes of Sam in the evening. Tourists get a 7 star hotel like experience in this train. The food of this train is very tasty and wonderful and the staff is very charming.
