NEW DELHI: Following the success of the heritage train, Palace on Wheels, on the Rajasthan corridor, the Railways is all set to launch the second version of the train on the Rajasthan circuit in the coming months in view of the popular demand from India and abroad.

"The Palace on Wheels is booked till 2009. We are faced with a huge demand from tourists in India and abroad asking for reservations. In view of the popular demand, we have decided to introduce Palace on Wheels-II from this year to cater to elite passengers," Indian Railway Catering Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P.K. Goel told The Hindu .

Figuring among the top 10 luxury trains of the world, the Palace on Wheels has seen a surge not only among the foreign tourists but also among domestic travellers, provoking various State Governments to join the chorus for running such trains in view of its tourist attraction value.

"Our concept of Palace on Wheels ensures that the tourist travels like a maharaja and experiences the exotic romance of the land of fairytales and royal heritage. It is a weeklong trip in the comfort of modern luxury," Mr. Goel said.

This year the train had departure dates for April, September, October, November and December. The IRCTC was busy working out the new schedule for the second version and would unveil it soon. The train would cover Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawaimadhopur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur and Agra.

Mr. Goel said a major overhaul of catering on trains on all circuits was in the offing. Besides introduction of high quality modular kitchens in the trains, the IRCTC was about to enter into an agreement with leading professional catering chains.

"A third party quality inspection regime was also being introduced to monitor the quality of food as well as the hygienic conditions in the kitchens and pantry cars. A team of 100 inspectors is always on the prowl picking up trains for food inspection with the idea being to focus on quality," Mr. Goel said.

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