THE GROOVY TRAIN

For years,the Palace on Wheels provided the ultimate in opulent train journeys14 regal saloons,twin-bedded cabins,grand dining,intercom,attached baths. But now,the Rajasthan government,through the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation RTDC,is ready with a sequel to the original. On Sunday,RTDC,in collaboration with the Indian Railways,rolls out what is being billed as a better,advanced version of the Palace on Wheelsthe Royal Rajasthan on Wheels. The Royal Rajasthan will set off from Delhis Safdarjung railway station every Sunday evening and take the same route as the Palace on Wheelsa journey where Rajasthans forts,havelis,lakes and wildlife will provide the perfect backdrop. From Delhi,the train goes to Jaipur,Jaisalmer,Jodhpur,Sawai Madhopur,Chittorgarh,Udaipur,Bharatpur and Agra before returning to Delhi the following Sunday.

The Royal Rajasthan is a golden-black beauty with 21 coaches14 passenger saloons,two restaurant-cum-bars,a kitchen,a staff car,a store-cum-staff car and two power cars. Thirteen of the 14 passenger saloons have been named after various forts in RajasthanUmmed Palace,Surya Mahal,Sukh Mahal,Phool Mahal,Padmini Mahal,Hawa Mahal,Jal Mahal,Jogi Mahal,Kishori Mahal,Kumbha Mahal,Lalgarh Mahal and Moti Mahal. These 13 saloons have three deluxe cabins each: Ruby,Sapphire and Pearl. Each of these cabins can accommodate two people and is equipped with a study table,a cupboard and bed-lamps. The sole super-deluxe saloonnamed Taj Mahalhas two cabins,the Emerald and the Diamond. The Royal Rajasthan is all set to become the first Wi-Fi enabled train in the country. In another two-three months,it will also offer a spa-cum-beauty parlour-cum-ayurvedic massage centre.

The train can seat 82 persons,unlike the Palace on Wheels,which can take in 104. While the Palace on Wheels has four cabins per coach,the Royal Rajasthan has only three,thus making the cabins bigger, says RTDCs General Manager B.K. Sharma. Also,unlike the Palace on Wheels which accommodated three persons in each cabin,the Royal Rajasthan will only allow twin-sharing.

The Railways spent around Rs 12.5 crore on the trains shell and accessories,the RTDC put in Rs 27.5 crore for the interior decoration and the air-conditioning.

The first-ever Palace On Wheels,an amalgamation of 12 fully-furnished,non air-conditioned wooden saloons once owned by former maharajahs and viceroys of British Raj,chugged off on January 26,1982. Nine years later,in 1991,the Palace on Wheels was re-launched with a new air-conditioned meter-gauge rake. But with the meter-gauge tracks,none of the coaches could accommodate attached baths. The present Palace on Wheels was launched in 1995 after Rajasthan got broad gauge tracks.

The tariff

A ride in the super deluxe Taj Mahal cabin will cost 2000 Rs 96,120 per night. The tariffs for the deluxe cabins will be 800 Rs 38,448 per person per night on twin-sharing basis and 1,200 Rs 57,672 per person per night for single occupancy. An introductory discount of 101 Rs 4,854 per person per night is being offered in deluxe cabins.

Children below 5 years will be accommodated free along with adult passengers while those in the age-group of 5-12 years will be charged 50 per cent of the fee. The tariff includes all incidental expenses like cost of travel,accommodation on board,multi-cuisine meals and local transport for sight seeing.