A luxury Train.

It is a luxury train and people who had enough money to travel only will enjoy the pleasant journey on this train. This train is called as Palace on wheels. The real situation in India is people are not able to travel in premium class trains because the fare is very high. Poor peoples can see photographs of the train and get enjoyed.

Luxury comes with a price tag. Once in a while one can go for such a tour to feel the pulse of the luxury. A friend of mine, a middle class employee saved for an year only to avail such luxuries.

Isn't this also called the palace on wheels? It is not new ..but yes everything comes with a price tag but if a person is rich enough s/he can afford to take the pleasure of commuting by this train.

This is news for me, I always wanted to travel by Palace on Wheels but now I have my priorities changed  :)

Yes, these trains are very costly indeed.  The alternative is to enjoy whatever is possible.  For example, one can enjoy a good ride, in the double decker train that runs between Chennai and Bangalore.  We need to have several such alternatives.  Sure, the very poor cannot afford it, but the middle classes are enjoying it to some extent. 

Though it is not great, it does have a fairly good ambiance and is quite alright.  The seats are very comfortable too.

It is not just a train but an experience of lifetime! If I ever get 900 dollars to spare I am definitely booking a ticket on that train!

True..given a chance, I would love to travel by palace on wheels! After all this would be once in a lifetime opportunity.

ABSIVAKUMAR wrote:

Yes, these trains are very costly indeed.  The alternative is to enjoy whatever is possible.  For example, one can enjoy a good ride, in the double decker train that runs between Chennai and Bangalore.  We need to have several such alternatives.  Sure, the very poor cannot afford it, but the middle classes are enjoying it to some extent. 

Though it is not great, it does have a fairly good ambiance and is quite alright.  The seats are very comfortable too.

 

 

True but traveling by one of its kind is an entirely different experience.

 

The poor see the train pass by, the middle class aspire to travel in in and the rich can afford it. The interesting tragedy of  middle class is that by the time they save the fare it has jumped up by 20-30% or more. So they are always in the saving mode!!

vijay wrote:

The poor see the train pass by, the middle class aspire to travel in in and the rich can afford it. The interesting tragedy of  middle class is that by the time they save the fare it has jumped up by 20-30% or more. So they are always in the saving mode!!

I have traveled in many trains including costly and even bullet trains in China but I haven't seen Palace on Wheel so far even from a distance. I would like to see POW and the other one mentioned in this thread.

Good things come with a price tag. A bit of luxury can be bought for experiencing the thrill of luxury. I know many middle class people saved only to experience the thrill of luxury.

I wish we had a sale for Palace on Wheels tickets, at least I could have thought of traveling by it. Travelling by train does take time but the experience better as compared to flying, crammed spaces, less leg room even for 2 or 3 hrs makes it a disappointing experience. And travelling by Palace on Wheel would be like a dream come true.

suni51 wrote:I think they accept payment in $$$ only so you will have to arrange a sponsorship for your wish to be fulfilled.

There is a provision for payment in INR also.

Over the table or under the table?

Well, the decision is yours.

Sure. What I meant was generally if you pay at the station it is usually over the table and in a moving train it is below the table.The high fares of the POW will make an average Indian middle class not chose either mode of payment.

No. Even when the train is on the move, I paid and demanded a receipt. If the conductor fails to give a receipt, it's under the table.

Fine. The POW is a train which shows a number of forts to Western tourists in an around Rajasthan when out of it and wines and dines them when they are in it. A typical middle class Indian may not find these attractive and surely not at the very high fares charged. However the choice as usual is with the paying public.

It's a luxury not within the reach of commoners. But there are a few commoners who save for such luxuries with their savings just to haveAA feel of that luxury. A few of my friends travelled. They are mere commoners like me.