The ''Maharajas' Express'' is a luxury tourist train owned and operated by

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is an Indian public sector undertaking that provides ticketing, catering, and tourism services for the Indian Railways. It was initially wholly owned by the Government of India and operated ...

(IRCTC). It serves four routes across North-West and Central India, mainly centered on

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...

between the months of October and April. The Maharajas' Express was voted "The World's Leading Luxury Train" Seven times in a row at The World Travel Awards from 2012 through 2018. Maharajas' Express also received recognition from the Conde Nast Travelers Reader Choice Travel Award.

History

The luxury train service was started in March 2010. The IRCTC and Cox and Kings India Ltd. entered a joint venture, setting up Royale Indian Rail Tours Ltd. (RIRTL) to oversee the functioning and management of the Maharajas' Express. This arrangement was terminated on 12 August 2011, and the train was then operated exclusively by IRCTC. Maharaja Express

Carriages

The train comprises 23 carriages which include accommodation, dining, bar, lounge, generator, and store cars. Accommodation is available in 14 guest carriages with a total passenger capacity of 84. The train also has a lounge called the Rajah Club with a private bar, two dining cars, and a dedicated bar car. The train is also equipped with a water filtration plant. An on-board souvenir boutique offers that for passengers.

Guest cabins

23 carriages with 14 individual cabins provide seating and sleeping capacity for 84 guests. There are 20 Deluxe Cabins, 18 Junior Suites, 4 Suites, and a Presidential Suite. All suites have a full bath. The guest cabins are comparable to ones on cruise ships. There are five carriages in the category of Deluxe Cabins, a total of 20 cabins accommodating 40 passengers. There are a total of 18 cabins in the category of Junior Suites, accommodating 36 passengers. Additionally, there are also four Suites. A Presidential suite occupies an entire rail carriage, incorporating a separate sitting-cum-dining room, a master bedroom and bathroom with shower and bathtub, a twin bedroom and bathroom with shower, similar to the

private railroad car A private railroad car, private railway coach, private car, or private varnish is a railroad passenger car either originally built or later converted for service as a business car for private individuals. A private car could be added to the make- ...

s that were used in the United States.

Dining and bar coaches

The train has two dining cars—named ''Rang Mahal'' and ''Mayur Mahal''—designed for full fine dining service, served by a state-of-the-art kitchen car. ''Mayur Mahal'' (the Peacock restaurant) has a peacock feather theme in its décor. The ''Rajah Club'' is a dedicated bar carriage. The ''Safari'' lounge and bar have a multilingual library.

Routes

IRCTC introduced five new itineraries in 2012, of which two are short-term Golden Triangle (Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra) tours and the other three are week-long pan-Indian voyages:

In popular media

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

correspondent

Sir Trevor McDonald Sir Trevor McDonald (born George McDonald; 16 August 1939) is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist, best known for his career as a news presenter with ITN. McDonald was knighted in 1999 for his services to journalism. Career ...

travels India by the Maharajas' Express in a 2019 documentary. *Featured in Episode 3 of Season 2 of the

Discovery Channel Canada Discovery Channel (often referred to as simply Discovery) is a Canadian specialty television channel owned by CTV Speciality Television Inc. (a joint venture between Bell Media/ESPN Inc. (80%) and Warner Bros. Discovery (which owns the remaining ...

series ''

Mighty Trains ''Mighty Trains'' (also known as Megatrains on Discovery Channel Australia) is a documentary television program, part of the "Mighty" franchise, alongside Mighty Planes, Mighty Cruise Ships and Mighty Ships. The series was produced in Canada ...

''.

Gallery

Maharajas' Express.jpg, A view of Maharajas' Express World's leading luxury train.jpg, Interior of Maharajas' Express Indische Luxus Zugs.jpg, Luxury Beds in the Maharajas' Express Maharaja Express Índia.jpg, Foreign tourists at The Maharajas' Express Maharajas' Express - Mayur Mahal, dining (4809207224).jpg, Dining at Maharajas' Express Maharajas' Express Train.jpg, Decks of The Maharajas' Express (night view) Maharaja Express.jpg, The Maharajas' Express halted at A Railway station of

References

External links

* {{Udaipur Luxury trains in India Transport in Udaipur Rail transport in Rajasthan 2010 establishments in India