The Journal
From Maharajas' Saloons to the Modern Rails: The Story of the Palace on Wheels
An idea born of nostalgia
When the Palace on Wheels first pulled out of Delhi in 1982, it carried more than passengers — it carried memory. In the age of the Maharajas, India's ruling princes, Nizams and viceroys each kept their own personal railway saloon: private carriages panelled in teak and silk, used to travel the subcontinent in the manner of a moving palace. When the princely states were dissolved after Independence, those saloons fell silent. The Palace on Wheels was conceived by Indian Railways and Rajasthan Tourism to bring that world back to life.
The first rake
The original train was assembled from genuine former royal and colonial-era coaches, running on India's old metre-gauge lines. It was an instant sensation, introducing international travellers to Rajasthan's forts, palaces and deserts in a single week of guided luxury.
Rebuilt for a new era
As India converted its network to broad gauge in the 1990s, the Palace on Wheels was rebuilt with a brand-new rake — modern, air-conditioned coaches finished in the décor of the former princely states, each named after one of them. That principle endures today: 14 coaches, hand-crafted interiors, and a heritage character that no newer train has quite matched.
The original, still running
More than four decades on, the Palace on Wheels remains the train that started India's luxury-rail movement — and in 2024 its readers voted it among the world's best. Follow in those footsteps: explore the train and its royal itinerary.