Palace on Wheels posts 45% surge in passengers, books 1st charter in May in its 43 years

Jaipur: The Palace on Wheels has reported a 45% surge in passenger traffic this year despite the turbulence of global travel markets.

In FY 2025-26, the train operated 23 trips, carrying 854 passengers. For the first time in its 43-year history, it booked a full-train charter in May that would take the final tally to 938 passengers, compared to 646 in 2024-25.

Even when compared to the stronger base of 2023-24, when it attracted 802 tourists, the growth this year stands at more than 22%.

The train’s week-long itinerary begins in Delhi and winds through Rajasthan’s cultural heartland, covering Jaipur’s palaces, Ranthambore’s tiger reserve, Chittorgarh’s fort, Udaipur’s lakes, Jaisalmer’s desert citadel, Jodhpur’s blue city, Bharatpur’s bird sanctuary and Agra’s Taj Mahal — before returning to the capital.

“In a year when international tourism has been clouded by Middle East tensions, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and global economic uncertainty, we have managed to position the Palace on Wheels as more than a luxury product. We have added corporates as a thriving segment,” said Bhagat Singh, director of Evident Travel Solutions Pvt Ltd (ETSPL), its operating partner.

The first charter was booked in April by two leading multinational FMCG companies, opening a new segment for a high-profile product launch.

“In fact, it was a departure from the past when the train only focused on foreign travellers. Though the strategy to attract corporate for hosting incentives tours, offsites and product launches was always discussed as a concept, it happened only now,” he added.

The second charter, scheduled for May 20, 2026, has been booked by a leading nationalised bank, further solidifying the new trend while reducing dependence on foreign tourist movement, which often gets affected by geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties.

But Singh said the overseas market remains the bulwark for the train, and they have been promoting the journeys in all the global travel marts as well as in the domestic markets.
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