Palace on Wheels train begins season's first journey

Palace on Wheels, the luxury train for tourists, on Wednesday chugged out of Safdarjung station in New Delhi on its first journey of the season carrying 34 passengers.

. . .

A joint venture of Indian Railways and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, the train with all modern facilities will travel to Jaipur, Sawaimadhopur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Agra before returning to the capital.

The train has 23 coaches comprising 14 saloons, one spa coach, two restaurants -- Maharaja and Maharani -- and one reception-cum-bar.

. . .

The seven-day journey takes the tourists across mountains, rivers, forests and sand dunes in air-conditioned comfort.

It will make a total of 34 trips from September 2013 to April 2014 and 3000 passengers are expected to travel in the train, said a senior railway official.