Maharajas' Express

The Maharajas' Express () is a luxury tourist train owned and operated by The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTCL). It serves four routes across North-West and Central India, mainly centred on Rajasthan between the months of October and April.

The Maharajas' Express, often also referred to as the Orient Express of the Orient, was voted "The World's Leading Luxury Train" Seven times in a row at The World Travel Awards from 2012 through 2018 and again in 2024 for the eighth time. Maharajas' Express also received recognition from the Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Travel Award in 2022.

History The train service was started in March-2010. The IRCTCL and Cox and Kings India Ltd entered a joint venture, setting up Royale Indian Rail Tours Ltd (RIRTL) to oversee the functioning and management of the Maharajas' Express. This arrangement was terminated on 12-August-2011, and the train was then operated exclusively by IRCTCL.

Carriages The train comprises 23 carriages which include accommodation, dining, bar, lounge, generator, and store cars. Accommodation is available in 14 guest carriages with a total passenger capacity of 84. The train also has a lounge called the Rajah Club with a private bar, two dining cars, and a dedicated bar car. The train is also equipped with a water filtration plant.

Guest Cabins The guest carriages provide seating and sleeping capacity for 84 guests. There are 20 Deluxe Cabins, 18 Junior Suites, 4 Suites, and a Presidential Suite. All suites have a full bath. The Presidential suite occupies an entire rail carriage, incorporating a separate sitting-cum-dining room, a master bedroom and bathroom with shower and bathtub, plus a twin bedroom and bathroom with shower,

Dining and Bar Coaches The train has two dining cars — named Rang Mahal () and Mayur Mahal () — designed for full fine dining service. Mayur Mahal (the Peacock restaurant) has a peacock feather theme in its décor. The Rajah Club is a dedicated bar carriage. The Safari lounge and bar have a multilingual library.

Traction it was hauled by both diesel and electrified locomotives. Diesel like Prateek WDP-4D and electrified like Vadodara-based Amul Branded WAP-5

Routes

Maharajas Express operates four different itineraries from October to April, of which two are short-term Golden Triangle (Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra) tours and the other three are week-long pan-India voyages:

Name Duration Route Heritage of India 6 Nights/7 Days Mumbai – Ajanta – Udaipur – Jodhpur – Bikaner – Jaipur – Ranthambore – Agra - New Delhi Treasures of India 3 nights/4 days Delhi – Agra – Ranthambore – Jaipur – Delhi Indian Panorama 6 Nights/7 Days Delhi – Jaipur – Jodhpur - Ranthambore – Fatehpur Sikri – Agra – Gwalior – Orchha – Khajuraho – Varanasi – Lucknow – Delhi The Indian Splendour 6 Nights/7 Days Delhi – Agra – Ranthambore – Jaipur – Bikaner – Jodhpur – Udaipur – Balasinor – Mumbai

The train's curated journey includes participation in evening prayer rituals at the banks of river Ganga.

In Popular Media ITV correspondent Sir Trevor McDonald travels India by the Maharajas' Express in a 2019 documentary. Featured in Episode 3 of Season 2 of the Discovery Channel Canada series Mighty Trains. Featured in Episode 2 of Amazon's James May: Our Man in India (2024)

Gallery

Maharajas' Express

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