Trains Luxury Tourist Trains

Indian Railways – Luxury Tourist Trains

(Complete RRB Exam Capsule)

1. Why “Luxury Tourist Trains” are Exam-Important

  • Static GK: Names, years, routes, awards, capacity, speed, tariff range.
  • Current Affairs: Every year 1–2 questions in RRB NTPC, Group-D, JE, ALP on “Palace on Wheels” type trains, UNESCO heritage, Swadesh Darshan, Incredible India 2.0.
  • Budget 2023-24: 50 new “Bharat Gaurav” tourist trains & 5 new luxury circuits announced – high probability for 2024-25 shifts.

2. Quick-Fire Facts (RRB Hit-List)

S.N. Train Flag-off Year Operator Zone Base Shed Coaches Max Speed (km/h) Avg Running (km/h) Annual Pax (approx.)
1 Palace on Wheels 1982 (Relaunched 2009) RTDC + IRCTC NWR Delhi Safdarjung 14 (1 spa, 2 rest., 1 bar) 110 45-50 3,000
2 Royal Rajasthan on Wheels 2009 RTDC + IRCTC NWR Delhi Safdarjung 13 110 45 1,800
3 Deccan Odyssey 2004 (Relaunch 2014) MTDC + IRCTC CR Mumbai CST (Diesel) 21 110 50 2,000
4 Golden Chariot 2008 KSTDC + IRCTC SWR Bengaluru YPR 18 110 45 1,200
5 Maharajas’ Express 2010 (World’s Costliest) IRCTC alone NR Delhi Cantonment 23 (4 configs) 130 60 1,500
6 Bharat Gaurav (theme) 2021 Private + IRCTC All zones Various 10-16 110 45 –

3. Awards & Recognitions (Remember the Year)

Train Award Year
Palace on Wheels PATA Gold Award 1987
Maharajas’ Express “World’s Leading Luxury Train” (WTA) 4 times: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Deccan Odyssey Asia’s Leading Luxury Train (WTA) 2016, 2017
Golden Chariot 1st luxury train to get Green-Cert (IGBC) 2021

4. Route & Duration Matrix (Most Asked)

Train Circuit Nights States Covered UNESCO Sites Covered
Palace on Wheels Delhi-Jaipur-Sawai Madhopur-Chittorgarh-Udaipur-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Bharatpur-Agra-Delhi 7 Rajasthan, Haryana, UP 3 (Keoladeo, Jantar-Mantar, Hill-Forts)
Royal Rajasthan Same as PoW + Khajuraho-Varanasi 8 RJ, UP, MP 4 (add Khajuraho)
Deccan Odyssey 6 circuits – most famous “Maharashtra Splendour” (Mumbai-Ajanta-Ellora-Nashik-Goa-Mumbai) 7 MH, GA 2 (Ajanta & Ellora)
Golden Chariot Pride of South & Southern Treasures (Bengaluru-Mysore-Hampi-Belur-Halebidu-Cochin-Kovalam-Bengaluru) 7 KA, TN, KE 2 (Hampi, Mahabalipuram)
Maharajas’ Express 4 pan-India itineraries: Heritage, Indian Panorama, Treasures, Southern Jewels 3-7 Up to 12 states 6 (Taj, Khajuraho, Hampi, etc.)

5. Fare / Tariff Range (per person/night) – Approx. INR

Train Deluxe Cabin Junior Suite Presidential Suite
Palace on Wheels ₹45,000 ₹65,000 –
Royal Rajasthan ₹50,000 ₹70,000 –
Deccan Odyssey ₹52,000 ₹75,000 –
Golden Chariot ₹40,000 ₹60,000 –
Maharajas’ Express ₹65,000 ₹95,000 ₹2,50,000

6. Salient Technical Features

  • Track Gauge: 1676 mm (Broad Gauge) – all luxury trains.
  • Traction: PoW & RR → Diesel; DO, GC, ME → End-on-Generation (EOG) + HOG compliant.
  • Brake System: All Air-brake; Max permissible 110-130 km/h.
  • Crew: 1 Train Manager (ex-IRPS), 1 Chief Ticket Inspector, 1 Paramedic, 55-60 hospitality staff.
  • Sponsor Ministry: Tourism under “Swadesh Darshan” & “Dekho Apna Desh”.
  • Booking Window: 16 months advance (IRCTC portal only for ME; agents for others).

7. Abbreviations & Full-Forms (RRB Loves Abbreviations)

Abbreviation Full-Form
IRCTC Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation
RTDC Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation
MTDC Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation
KSTDC Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation
WTA World Travel Awards
PATA Pacific Asia Travel Association
EOG End-on-Generation
HOG Head-on-Generation

8. Previous-Year RRB Questions (Memory-Based)

Q1. Which was the first luxury tourist train started by Indian Railways? Palace on Wheels (1982)
Q2. The Maharajas’ Express is operated by which zone? Northern Railway (NR)
Q3. How many coaches are there in the Golden Chariot? 18
Q4. Which luxury train covers Ajanta-Ellora caves? Deccan Odyssey
Q5. The "World’s Leading Luxury Train" award (WTA) was won four times by – Maharajas’ Express
Q6. In which city is the base maintenance depot of Palace on Wheels? Delhi Safdarjung
Q7. The maximum permissible speed of Maharajas’ Express is – 130 km/h

9. Rapid-Fire List (One-Liner)

  • Only train with Presidential Suite → Maharajas’ Express
  • Only train certified “Green” by IGBC → Golden Chariot
  • Only train covering Khajuraho & Varanasi → Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
  • Only train owned 100 % by IRCTC → Maharajas’ Express
  • Latest luxury tourist train policy launched → “Bharat Gaurav” (Nov-2021)

10. 15 MCQs for Practice (with ☑ answers)

  1. In which year was the Palace on Wheels originally launched?
    a) 1972 b) 1982 c) 1992 d) 2002 ☑ b

  2. The Deccan Odyssey is a joint venture of IRCTC and
    a) RTDC b) KSTDC c) MTDC d) ITDC ☑ c

  3. Which luxury train runs on the broad-gauge track of 1676 mm?
    a) Nilgiri Mountain b) Palace on Wheels c) Darjeeling Himalayan d) Kangra Valley ☑ b

  4. How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are covered in the standard itinerary of Maharajas’ Express?
    a) 4 b) 5 c) 6 d) 7 ☑ c

  5. The Golden Chariot was named after the famous stone chariot at
    a) Halebidu b) Belur c) Hampi d) Mahabalipuram ☑ c

  6. What is the maximum speed permitted for the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels?
    a) 100 km/h b) 110 km/h c) 120 km/h d) 130 km/h ☑ b

  7. Which of the following is NOT a part of the Palace on Wheels itinerary?
    a) Udaipur b) Jaisalmer c) Bharatpur d) Khajuraho ☑ d

  8. The first luxury train to win the PATA Gold Award was
    a) Deccan Odyssey b) Palace on Wheels c) Golden Chariot d) Maharajas’ Express ☑ b

  9. The “Bharat Gaurav” tourist train policy was announced in
    a) 2019 b) 2020 c) 2021 d) 2022 ☑ c

  10. Which luxury train has a coach named “Heera” (Diamond)?
    a) Maharajas’ Express b) Golden Chariot c) Deccan Odyssey d) Palace on Wheels ☑ a

  11. The tariff of the Presidential Suite of Maharajas’ Express is about ₹____ per night.
    a) 1 lakh b) 1.5 lakh c) 2 lakh d) 2.5 lakh ☑ d

  12. Which railway zone technically maintains the Golden Chariot rake?
    a) SWR b) CR c) NR d) NWR ☑ a

  13. The number of coaches in the Deccan Odyssey is
    a) 14 b) 18 c) 21 d) 23 ☑ c

  14. Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?
    a) Hampi – Royal Rajasthan b) Goa – Deccan Odyssey c) Varanasi – Golden Chariot d) Jantar Mantar – Maharajas’ Express only ☑ b

  15. “Swadesh Darshan” scheme is related to
    a) Freight corridor b) High-speed rail c) Theme-based tourist trains d) Metro rail ☑ c

11. Last-Minute Revision Card

  • 1982 – PoW
  • 2004/14 – DO
  • 2008 – GC
  • 2009 – RR
  • 2010 – ME (130 km/h)
  • 2021 – Bharat Gaurav
  • Awards: PATA-87 (PoW), WTA 4× (ME)
  • UNESCO Sites: ME-6, PoW-3, DO-2, GC-2
  • Green IGBC: GC
  • Presidential Suite: ME
  • Operators: IRCTC alone → ME; JVs → others

Keep this page handy for 100 % accuracy on “Luxury Tourist Trains” questions in every RRB NTPC, Group-D, JE, ALP & Ministerial exam.

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