New Delhi: It may be said that you don’t need to be rich to travel well. But if you are planning to take the Palace on Wheels, the Indian luxury tourist train, to explore the forts and palaces of maharajas in Rajasthan, you certainly need to be more than just wealthy! For it costs $650 (Dh2,388) per person for a night.
Its history spanning 34 years, the iconic train, however, made news recently for a wrong reason. Forced to skip a trip for the first time in March end, the surprising factor was not the cost of travel, but for want of passengers.
General manager of the Palace on Wheels, Pradeep Bohra, informed, “The train requires at least 25 passengers to make it profitable, whereas on one of its recent trips, only eight tourists travelled.”
Understandably, the train cannot make trips with few passengers on board. While Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) offers rebate in fares several times during the year, since it sees fewer bookings for March end trip generally every year, no concessions are offered around then, hence the set back this time.
Bohra explains, “Train tourism in India has been down for the past few years. And since the advent of other luxury trains, which came up in the last decade, there has been stiff competition for the share of a static market. While we run all four weeks in a month, others may run once a month, depending upon their bookings, and yet claim they are running in full occupancy.”
“Also, earlier our trains were running on a tariff-sharing basis, wherein 56 per cent was for RTDC and 44 per cent for Indian Railways on each trip. But from this season, we have to pay Railways Rs6.5 million per tour, with a 10 per cent increase every year, irrespective of the number of tourists. All this will put a huge dent in our earnings.”
Introduced on January 26, 1982, the heritage train has been the most popular among international tourists and operates from September to April each year. And the pleasant news for the discerning lot is that after a small hiatus, the train is back on track for its weeklong journeys. The officials are relieved that they have begun drawing passengers once again.
The iconic train has a capacity of 104 passengers. As it has a high maintenance cost, it is not feasible to operate it with little occupancy. Marked as a ‘must-do things mentioned in the country’s travel guides, it was voted as the fourth best luxurious train in the world and the best in Asia in the global travel magazine Conde Nast.
The Palace on Wheels official claimed that even during the global recession period from 2007 to 2009, the train drew a large number of tourists wanting to get a glimpse of Rajasthan’s illustrious past by taking a journey on it. But off and on, the number of bookings is being affected, especially after terrorist attacks in India and the West. “Every time there is a terrorist attack, it leads to group cancellations, as people fear travelling. But slowly it picks up again,” Bohra said.
During 2014-15 (September-April), the train had 2,200 bookings, but these fell to 1,900 during 2015-16. Since passenger bookings declined, the profit too dwindled. The official attributed it to the decline in incomes and lack of concessions in fares during that period.
Showcasing Rajasthan’s culture and heritage, it runs between Delhi and Agra, via Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bharatpur. The train carries with it an intrinsic ambience that matches the majestic charm and beauty spread lavishly in the desert state. The seven days journey to the land of sand dunes, forts and regal palaces provide a perfect chance to relive the era when kings and queens ruled and when royalty spelt magic and charm.
Rolling back the wheels of time, one finds that rulers of princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India travelled by these luxurious coaches. After India’s Independence in 1947, these coaches were parked in Rajasthan until RTDC and Indian Railways launched Palace on Wheels, providing a unique experience to the tourists.
The name Palace on Wheels was derived from the royal background of the coaches. Over the time, the state government and the railway department have carried out several infrastructural changes in the coaches, though keeping the aesthetics of the interiors alive. The 14 air-conditioned saloons have attached cabins with bath and shower facilities and two restaurant-cum-kitchen cars offer traditional Indian, Continental and Chinese cuisine. The other royal services on board include a spa saloon offering ayurvedic massage services, a library, a bar and souvenirs and gift items bearing the insignia of Palace on Wheels.
Sensing tourist interest in such a venture, more trains were introduced. These include: The Deccan Odyssey (2004), Golden Chariot (2008) and Maharajas’ Express (2012). All these cater to various tourist circuits throughout India. But after the success of Palace on Wheels, RTDC and Indian Railways launched another luxury train Rajasthan Royal on Wheels in 2010. But the Palace on Wheels has always remained a favourite.
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