Travel luxuriously in these royal Indian trains
- Featured Travel & Hospitality
Schenelle Dsouza- 7 minutes read
Schenelle Dsouza
Travelling by trains in Mumbai is one of the things that defines a true Mumbaikar. Whether it is the everyday local trains or even the outstation ones, a journey by train is always a lot more fun. Adding to the fun train rides, we saw two new trains released during the pandemic— the Train 18 or Vande Bharat Express, and the new Vistadome coach in the Mumbai-Pune Deccan Express.
Train 18
Introduced in 2020, the Vande Bharat Expressor Train 18 is a fully air-conditioned train that travels the Delhi-Varanasi route. Regarded as the country’s first semi-high speed train, the train has the potential to travel at the speed of 160 kilometres per hour, covering the distance between Delhi and Varanasi in just eight hours. The train has two classes of tickets— executive class (EC) and chair car (CC) with a fixed rate of ₹ 1,080 for CC and ₹ 2,085 for EC. The ticket includes meals like breakfast, lunch/dinner and tea.
Vistadome
Recently on 26th June, the Mumbai-Pune Deccan Express acquired a new Vistadome coach. Offering a spectacular view of the Western Ghats, the South Western Railway decided to add two Vistadome coaches each to the trains, detaching one general second class coach each from them. The Vistadome coaches come with a transparent ceiling, wide window panes and 180-degree rotatable recliner seats. The tickets for the same start from Rs. 1,500 onwards.
Other than Train 18 and Vistadome, there are quite a few luxurious trains in India that make travelling by flight seem too basic.
1. Golden Chariot
Launched in 2008, the Golden Chariot was started by the Karnataka State Tourism Board. This luxurious train comes with elegantly designed interiors featuring Mysore style furniture. There are 11 guest rooms available, which are all named after the ruling dynasties. The train also includes 5-star amenities like an Ayurveda spa centre, a mini gym and in-house fine dining restaurants that serve a multitude of cuisines. Starting from Bangalore, this train travels to different world heritage locations in India and was also awarded as “Asia’s Leading Luxury Train” in the year 2013.
Price: Rs 16,000 onwards.
2. Maharaja Express
The Maharaja Express is regarded as one of the most luxurious trains in the world. It was even received the “World’s Leading Luxury Train” award for 6 consecutive years from 2012-2017 by the World Travel Awards. Boasting only quality professional service, guests receive a royal treatment onboard with butler service and fully stocked bars with only premium quality liquor. The presidential suite on the train offers all the luxuries of a 5-star hotel with its private lounges, lavish bedrooms and washrooms, and a plush dining area. Starting from Delhi and Trivandrum, the train travels to various heritage sites visiting local forts and palaces all over India.
Price: Rs 3.97 lakhs onwards.
3. Palace on Wheels
Known as India’s original luxury train, The Palace on Wheels was refurbished and re-launched in 2009 by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation. Much like its name, the train is definitely a palace on wheels with interior decor borrowed from the king’s palaces in ancient Rajasthan. Luxurious cabins, exquisite display decor and gracious hospitality expound this luxurious palace on wheels. Taking off from Jaipur, the palace on wheels travels to several historical locations including Qutub Minar, Taj Mahal, Humayun’s fort, etc.
Price: Rs 3.63 lakhs onwards.
4. Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
As the name suggests, the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels provides a rich experience of the Rajasthani heritage. With private princely abodes and artistic decor, the train has all the facilities of a luxury hotel, with fine-dining restaurants that showcase the flavourful Rajputana cuisine. The train takes off from Delhi and travels through Rajasthan, visiting all the famous spots around the state.
Price: Rs 3.78 lakhs onwards.
5. The Deccan Odyssey
