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 The
name "Palace-on-Wheels" (P.O.W) was
derived from its royal back-ground of
the coaches. It undertook its inaugural trip
on 26th January 1982.In order to further increase
the amenities on the train and due to over all gauge
conversion in the state, a new broad gauge Palace-on
Wheels has been constructed. It has 14 Saloons which
are inter connected. It bears the aesthetics
matching the interiors of the royal states. The
train also has a well appointed lounge, library and
bar. It's well stocked bar serves Indian liquor and
variety of scotch, wine and cocktails. It has piped
music in every saloon, and games for children. Apart
from this, other services include laundry services,
at Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur, Foreign Exchange,
Doctor on call. The lounge also has a souvenir shop
"The Bazaar" where souvenirs and gift
items are sold bearing the insigne of the P.O.W.
Each saloon has 4 coupes (sleeping rooms) with
attached bath and toilet. In every saloon, there is
one saloon captain and 2 attendants to look after
the personal needs of its tourists. Each saloon has
a mini pantry properly equipped to provide ready
tea/coffee and snacks.
 The
decor of each saloon has highlighted the cultural
ethos of the state, represented through the use of
furniture, handicrafts, paintings and furnishings.
The ceiling in the lounge is of particular interest
Each coupe is different but the over all ambience of
the decor of the saloons has been taken care of to
provide continuity This train was fabricated at the
Integral Coach Factory of Madras. In the past 18
years of operations the Palace-on-Wheels has been
rated as one of the best ten luxurious rail journeys
in the world. The Indian Railways and Tourism
Department of the State as well as India launched
this as a special heritage tourist train for
providing a unique memorable experience to the
tourists visiting Rajasthan.
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