Mamata`s new Palace on Wheels

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New Delhi: There is another addition to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee`s menu for West Bengal a `Palace on Wheels`. If her proposal sees the light of day, the super luxury train will soon chug between Howrah and New Delhi, stopping on major tourist destinations along the way.

Those privy to the proposal told Sify Correspondent that it would be a seven-night, eight-day journey and a pair of trains will be operational on the route. Both of them will have five deluxe coaches, six junior suits and a grand presidential suit.

However, getting a feel of this royal journey from Mamata`s home State to the national Capital would not come cheap - it may cost anything between $600 and $1,000. The idea is mainly to woo foreign tourists.

The train would have seven-star facilities a plasma TV in every coach, billiards room, a gymnasium and a boutique for those who would love to shop on a running train.

There would be two dinning rooms with a capacity of 42-50 people each, and a bar offering the choicest of sprits of Indian and international brands (really a place to chill out).

Sources said that after starting from Howrah Junction in the evening, the train will cover the Buddhist circuit cities of Bodh Gaya, Nalanda and Rajgir the following day.

The train would also stop at Varanasi to let the passengers enjoy boating along the famous ghats of the majestic Ganga in the holy city of Benaras and then move to Sarnath, another important destination of Buddhist pilgrimage.

It would enter Madhya Pradesh to enable the passengers to visit Bandhavgarh National Park and then to Khajuraho the following day.

Before arriving in New Delhi on the eight day of the journey, the passengers would also get a chance to visit Agra for a glimpse of the mesmerising Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri. Along the way, they also have the majestic Gwalior Fort on the itinerary.

Officials are still working the time frame in which the new `Palace on Wheels` could be put on the rails, but sources say that Mamata could make an announcement in this regard in her Budget speech early next month. 

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