The fundamental basis of India’s first luxury rail vacation remains the same today: overnight travel on the train in sumptuous AC sleeping chambers and pre-arranged group sightseeing by AC automobiles during the day.

These luxurious coaches were used by the rulers of Rajputana and Gujarat, as well as the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India. These coaches were parked after independence and remained in this condition for a quarter-century until 1981-82 when the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and Indian Railways launched a special heritage tourist train to provide tourists visiting Rajasthan with a unique and memorable experience.

The coaches’ regal past inspired the term “Palace on Wheels.” Many infrastructure modifications were gradually done in the coaches while retaining the same interior aesthetics that suited the royal state’s interiors. The Ex Maharajas’ original passenger saloons were replaced in the late 1980s with Metre Gauge trains with AC Cabins and shared toilets.