History of Palace on Wheels

The ornate coaches were originally meant to be the personal Railway coaches of erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India. The Indian Railways did not use these coaches after Independence in normal passenger trains on account of the very rich and traditional interiors. The coaches were very old and were meant to run on meter gauge. As a result they were parked in different yards and cited as part of heritage, far too ornate, old and historical to be of any practical use. They remained in this state for a quarter of a century.

In 1981-82 when the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, the Indian Railways and the Tourism Department of the State launched them as a special heritage tourist train to provide a unique memorable experience to the tourists visiting Rajasthan.

The name "Palace on Wheels" (POW) was derived from the royal background of the coaches. The Train undertook its inaugural trip on 26th January 1982. Only five promotional trips were run for the purpose of familiarization and publicity. It started to roll on its regular operations from October 1982.

The original coaches that belonged to the rulers of the erstwhile princely states of India become unworthy for the smooth rail journey after their continuous running for 9 years from its inception. This was replaced in 1991 by the air-conditioned meter gauge train whose interiors were done in accordance to the aesthetics of the old saloons. This train was fabricated at the Integral Coach Factory of Madras.

In order to further increase the amenities on the train. Palace on Wheels was constructed with the same amenities and facilities like its predecessors

Apart from this other services include - laundry services at Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur, Foreign Exchange, Doctor on call