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)

3. Awards & Recognitions (Remember the Year)

4. Route & Duration Matrix (Most Asked)

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

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)

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

Question:01 [Which was the first luxury tourist train started by Indian Railways?]

A) Deccan Odyssey

B) Royal Rajasthan on Wheels

C) Palace on Wheels

D) Maharajas’ Express

Question:02 The Maharajas’ Express is operated by which zone?

A) Northern Railway (NR)

B) Western Railway (WR)

C) Southern Railway (SR)

D) Eastern Railway (ER)

Question:03 How many coaches does the luxury tourist train “Golden Chariot” comprise?

A) 14

B) 16

C) 18

D) 20

Question:04 Which luxury train includes the Ajanta-Ellora caves in its itinerary?

A) Palace on Wheels

B) Maharajas’ Express

C) Deccan Odyssey

D) Golden Chariot

Question:05 [The “World’s Leading Luxury Train” award (WTA) has been won four times by which train?]

A) Palace on Wheels
B) The Deccan Odyssey
C) Maharajas’ Express
D) Golden Chariot

Question:06 [In which city is the base maintenance depot of Palace on Wheels located?]

A) Jaipur
B) Delhi Safdarjung
C) Mumbai Central
D) Agra Cantt

Question:07 The maximum permissible speed of Maharajas’ Express is –

A) 110 km/h

B) 120 km/h

C) 130 km/h

D) 140 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.