The Palace on Wheels is going to take your experience to a whole new level. The coaches will be transformed and refurbished into vintage hotel-cum-restaurants, and placed at locations that are easily accessible by road. It could be a well-known tourist destination or a point of location that offers an easy commute to the vintage hotels.
“We have sent the vintage hotel proposal to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for consideration. Each vintage hotel will have two to three coaches and would cost an estimated Rs. 16 crore,” a senior railway ministry official said.
He further added, “It is planned that these vintage hotels would become a weekend getaway where people go for a royal experience and to know the history of the Railways”.
The aim is to, both, preserve the heritage and harness the potential of the transporter to earn revenue.
Presently, the National Rail Museum is home to seven of the nine original coaches of the Palace on Wheels that remind of the times when luxury was the signature of the Maharajas.
As per the proposed plan, such vintage hotels could be built near Rewari Steam Care Centre, a point of interest that is away from the hustle-bustle life of the city (like the Brar Square Station near the Delhi Cantonment); the centre also attracts many steam locomotive buffs.
The official also stated that Jaipur could be an ideal city for such hotels, owing to the rich cultural heritage it possesses. Moreover, such hotels could become a favourite getaway for the tourists.
