The most renowned Luxury Tourist Train of Rajasthan Tourism ‘Palace on Wheels’ has resumed its operation almost after two years which was suspended in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot flagged off the ‘Palace on Wheels’ at Gandhinagar Railway Station in Jaipur today.
Prior to its departure, the Chief Minister took stock of the facilities inside the train. He wished the passengers a happy journey and said it was a matter of pride for the government to re-operationalise the service.
While speaking on the occasion, Ashok Gehlot said, “Royal train service has been enthralling tourists for the last 40 years and this is an example for the world. Its resumption indicates that tourism sector in the state is going to emerge stronger.”
While elaborating on the initiative taken by the Gehlot Government to boost tourism sector the Chief Minister informed that his Government has accorded the ‘Industry’ status to the hospitality sector and that a sum of Rs 1,000 crore has been set aside in the 2022-23 budget.
Under the joint aegis of the Railways and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC), modern furnishings and additional amenities have been included in the train.
The first royal train was flagged off in 1982. As a result of change of rail gauges from time to time, the second train was built in 1991 and the third in 1995, an official statement said. Apart from Delhi and Agra, the seven-day journey covers Rajasthan’s Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Jaisalmer and Bharatpur.
