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Palace on Wheels
Palace on Wheels History
The Palace on Wheels is counted among the most prestigious trains of the world because the facilities offered onboard are unique and unparalleled and you cannot find the same in any other train of the world.
The Palace on Wheel's history is legendry and vivid. The carriages, which form this train, have a history of their own. The rulers of princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India once used the magnificent and luxurious coaches of this train.
After India's Independence in 1947, Indian Railways decided to discontinue the use of these magnificent coaches on account of their gorgeous furnishings and very rich and traditional interiors, as it was not viable to include them in normal passenger trains.
During 1981-82 the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and Indian Railways decided to launch a special heritage tourist train for providing an unforgettable experience to the tourists visiting Rajasthan and the result was the Palace On Wheels. Powered by a steam engine the train made its inaugural trip on 26th January 1982.
The wide media coverage of the Palace on Wheels, since its launch in 1982 has contributed in its immense popularity all over the world. Television channels such as BBC World, Zee TV, National Geographic, MDR of Germany and many others have covered the train in detail in their programs, which have contributed to enhancing its popularity.
The Palace on Wheels covers the most fascinating tourist destinations of India. A tour to the Pink city of Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and the Taj Mahal at Agra on this fabulous train is truly a great experience and an unforgettable journey of a lifetime. You can book a trip on the Palace on Wheels with Luxury Trains of India.
Palace on Wheels Facilities
Luxurious accommodations: palace on Wheels offers you on board royal services. It has 14 fully air-conditioned deluxe saloons; each having 4 cabins attached with bath and shower, channel music, intercom, satellite phones, wall to wall carpeting and other amenities.
Restaurants: The Palace on Wheels has two restaurants cum kitchen cars named as the Maharaja and the Maharani offering traditional Rajasthani, Indian, Continental and Chinese cuisine.
Lounge: At the end of each coach is a separate lounge providing passengers a place to relax when they come out of their bedrooms. Here they get an opportunity to interact with each other. The lounge also offers a good collection of books to choose from. Each lounge has been equipped with a color television and a CD player. The lounge also provides you with an exotic view of great Indian countryside during the daytime. All the famous newspapers and journals are available in the lounges.
Bar: A well maintained bar is always open for you to take care of your drinking needs. It has a stock of Indian and international brands and a variety of scotch, wines and cocktails.
The Baazar: The train also houses a beautiful shop called 'The Bazaar'. Here you can buy exotic gifts. Certain handicrafts can also be bought from this Bazaar.
The other services on request include laundry services, barbershop and beauty parlors. A mailbox is also provided on board for posting your mails. Other facilities include luggage collection, arrival kit, mineral water and many more like them. An attendant or 'Khidmatgar' is always there at your service, to cater all your travel needs.
Many facilities like Internet, ATM facility and e-commerce are being planned to take care of the future needs of the passengers.
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Toy Train
The hill stations of India have fascinated people from around the world since long. One such loved hill station of India is Shimla. Shimla, the capital of north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh was accorded the status of the summer capital of the British in India in the colonial era. Even today, the charm of Shimla binds many. And the best way to reach there is to catch a toy train from Kalka.
Toy Trains, as per their names, are much smaller in size than the usual trains. One of the toy trains that take a round trip on the Kalka Shimla track everyday is the Shivalik Deluxe Express.
Luxuries On Board The Shivalik Deluxe Express
The Shivalik Deluxe Express was introduced on the lines of the Shatabdi Express. It is a 120 seater train with bay glass windows and wall to wall carpeting. There are reversible cushioned chairs for you to seat yourselves comfortably and tables to have your meals. Brilliant lighting and music playing in the background enhance your feeling of luxury. Couples, wishing a bit of privacy, have the option for booking a cabin for themselves.
The treatment offered on the Shivalik Deluxe Express is pampering. Breakfast is served while the train is moving from Kalka to Shimla and dinner is offered on the return journey. The charge for dinner is included in your ticket fare whereas the breakfast served is complementary. The on board train attendant is there to fulfill every little need of yours. There is a microphone through which you can communicate with the guard on train as well.
The Magnetic Journey
The route from Kalka to Shimla covers a distance of 96 km. The Shivalik Deluxe Express commences its journey at 5. 30 am in the morning from Kalka, and within five minutes begins to climb the hill. Actually throughout the journey the train moves in an upward direction, traversing from 656 m above sea level to 2076m above sea level. It is because of this difficult upward movement of the train that its speed is restricted to 20 to 25 km per hour.
However, this is also advantageous in the sense that it allows you to soak in the surrounding beauty more and more, and at your pace. The beauty that passes through in succession throughout the journey seems straight out of a fairy tale. There are stunning valleys and small
picturesque
towns and villages. Moreover, the route also has 103 tunnels, 87 bridges,
900 curves and 20 railway stations. Out of 103 tunnels that the train crosses
enroute, only four are big ones - Barog, Koti, Tara Devi and Tunnel no 103.
Also, the lovers of photography have a gala time clicking the great Himalayas
and the beautiful oak forests. Officially, the train has just one halt and that is at Barog. Here, you will be provided with food packets. Any extra requirement for breakfast can be made, but before the train reaches Barog Station.
In about 4. 75 hours, the train reaches the beautiful hill station of Shimla. The return journey of the train begins in the evening at 5.30 pm.
Shivalik Palace And Shivalik Queen
The Shivalik Palace exudes royalty. A tourist coach, it has elegant interiors with comfortable folding beds, cushioned chair, wall clock, dining table, dressing table, in brief everything that you require to make your journey luxurious. There is also a well equipped kitchen and a modern bathroom. With light music playing in the background, you can either enjoy reading a book or play a variety of indoor games to entertain yourself. To complete your idea of royalty, there is also an attendant provided for your journey.
The best part is that this tourist coach can be attached to any train on the Shimla Kalka route. This means that you can book this six seater moving palace for your onward journey from Kalka to Shimla. On reaching Shimla, two retiring rooms are provided on a complimentary basis for one day stay at Shimla.
As for Shivalik Queen coach, it is specifically meant for the newly wed couple who wish to enjoy the beauty of the nature and privacy simultaneously. The coupes have elegantly curtained big windows for you to enjoy the scenery outside. Like the Shivalik Deluxe, the Shivalik Queen, too has wall to wall carpeting for generating a feeling of travelling in a luxurious environment. An alarm bell and a microphone keep you connected with the driver and guard respectively.
Luxury Trains in India : Palace On Wheels • Deccan Odyssey • Fairy Queen • Toy Train
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