A new double-decker air-conditioned train between Jaipur and Delhi's Sarai Rohilla Railway Station was inaugurated on August 16, 2012. The train, operated by the North Western Railways (NWR), is slated to replace the Delhi-Jaipur non-stop special train. The much-awaited fast train is a specially-designed double-decker with 13 coaches, and a seating capacity of 120 passengers - 50 on the upper floor, 48 on the lower floor, and 22 at centre level. Equipped with fully automatic doors, each coach has emergency windows and fire extinguishers for safety, and also a mini-pantry including fridge and microwave.
The train will cover the distance between Delhi and Jaipur in about 4.5 hours. A daily service, the train will leave Delhi's Sarai Rohilla station at 5.35 pm and reach Jaipur at 10.05 pm. Along the way, it will stop at Delhi Cantonment station, Gurgaon station and Gandhinagar Jaipur station. The return journey starts from Jaipur at 6.00 am and reach Delhi Sarai at 10.30 am.
The fully AC chair car's fare from Jaipur to Gurgaon would be Rs 327. For Jaipur to Delhi cantonment, it would be Rs 337 and the journey from Jaipur to Delhi Sarai Rohilla would cost Rs 347.
Showing posts with label Transport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Transport. Show all posts
Delhi to Jaipur by Bus
Besides taxis, another good way to get from the capital city New Delhi to Jaipur is by bus. This is especially safe for female travellers and those travelling alone. Delhi to Jaipur by bus is over 280 kms and takes about 5 hours, and sometimes more, due to traffic jams.
The main operators of the services are the interstate RSRTC (Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation) and DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation: http://dtc.nic.in/dt4.htm#5). There are several bus types available - from the ordinary (non A/C) barely-there service to the luxury air-conditioned ones.
The most luxurious bus service currently plying the route is the RSRTC's Volvo Service - a 45-seater spacious air-conditioned (AC) super luxury Volvo bus which also offers on-the-move entertainment by Airtel digital TV (comprising TV screens for every seat). There are many buses running at regular intervals each day and the fare is around Rs 500 per seat. The official website is http://www.rsrtc.gov.in/services.asp, but you can also find useful information regarding timings and ticket prices on http://www.indiatransit.com/india_bus_routes/jaipur-delhi.html
The main operators of the services are the interstate RSRTC (Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation) and DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation: http://dtc.nic.in/dt4.htm#5). There are several bus types available - from the ordinary (non A/C) barely-there service to the luxury air-conditioned ones.
The most luxurious bus service currently plying the route is the RSRTC's Volvo Service - a 45-seater spacious air-conditioned (AC) super luxury Volvo bus which also offers on-the-move entertainment by Airtel digital TV (comprising TV screens for every seat). There are many buses running at regular intervals each day and the fare is around Rs 500 per seat. The official website is http://www.rsrtc.gov.in/services.asp, but you can also find useful information regarding timings and ticket prices on http://www.indiatransit.com/india_bus_routes/jaipur-delhi.html
Delhi to Jaipur by Road
Due to low connectivity that Jaipur airport has with international flights, one of the ways to get to Jaipur is from New Delhi via the Delhi-Jaipur highway. The expressway is a section of the National Highway 8 (NH 8) that connects New Delhi with Mumbai, along the way passing through the cities of Gurgaon, Jaipur, Ajmer, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Silvassa.
You can either get on a bus or hire a taxi car - the latter option would be quicker. The distance is over 250 kms, and it will take about 4½ to over 6 hours depending on the traffic conditions on the road. A one-way ride can cost you anywhere from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 6,000 or more - depending on A/C or non A/C, bargaining, and also the quality /reliability of the service.
On my last trip there in April 2009, I had hired a private taxi, a Tata Indica (from Jaipur), which came to pick us up directly at the New Delhi airport. The 4½ hour ride was very smooth and incident-free. Just while leaving Delhi, the highway passes by Gurgaon - the IT hub of northern India. We did not make any stop in mid-journey in order to (a) save time and also (b) because it was already dark at night and we were two ladies travelling alone. The ride was a very enthralling and nostalgic experience - to return to India after 2 years and find myself landed right away on an Indian highway countryside - passing what seemed to be a thousand monstrous trucks, animal-driven carts, a dozen tollway gates and what not. The worst part of the entire journey was the pollution - toxic fumes and dust - inescapable even in an air-conditioned car. The return journey from Jaipur to Delhi airport took considerably longer - 6 hours - due to the traffic throughout the route on the highway. Luckily, we had left 8 hours before our flight time. We had also made a 'Midway' rest stop on the journey - and the place had surpassed my expectations. I was expecting to see a dirty, rundown little roadstop with unmaintained facilities. But when I got there, I was immediately impressed with all the modern amenities - clean toilets, a shop selling almost eveything you might need, and lots of food options to fill our hungry stomachs. I didn't feel unsafe for even a moment as there were so many other travellers from dozens of other tourist buses, cars & taxis, also taking a break from their journeys.
On my last trip there in April 2009, I had hired a private taxi, a Tata Indica (from Jaipur), which came to pick us up directly at the New Delhi airport. The 4½ hour ride was very smooth and incident-free. Just while leaving Delhi, the highway passes by Gurgaon - the IT hub of northern India. We did not make any stop in mid-journey in order to (a) save time and also (b) because it was already dark at night and we were two ladies travelling alone. The ride was a very enthralling and nostalgic experience - to return to India after 2 years and find myself landed right away on an Indian highway countryside - passing what seemed to be a thousand monstrous trucks, animal-driven carts, a dozen tollway gates and what not. The worst part of the entire journey was the pollution - toxic fumes and dust - inescapable even in an air-conditioned car. The return journey from Jaipur to Delhi airport took considerably longer - 6 hours - due to the traffic throughout the route on the highway. Luckily, we had left 8 hours before our flight time. We had also made a 'Midway' rest stop on the journey - and the place had surpassed my expectations. I was expecting to see a dirty, rundown little roadstop with unmaintained facilities. But when I got there, I was immediately impressed with all the modern amenities - clean toilets, a shop selling almost eveything you might need, and lots of food options to fill our hungry stomachs. I didn't feel unsafe for even a moment as there were so many other travellers from dozens of other tourist buses, cars & taxis, also taking a break from their journeys.
Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
The much-awaited new luxury train Royal Rajasthan on Wheels - RRoW - has just successfully completed its trial run during the weekend; with its first inaugural journey slated to start from Delhi on January 11, 2009. The train has the capacity to carry 82 passengers at a time; the fare for a suite of super deluxe saloon costing a hefty US$2,000 per person per night (there are just an envious 2 of these suites in the entire train), while a deluxe saloon (there are 13 of them) would cost you a tidy US$800.
With an itinerary of 7-8 days, the journeys would start from Delhi. Initially, the train was supposed to travel via Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Bikaner, Bharatpur and Agra. However, because the broad gauge railway track to Bikaner is fit for the movement of train, the RRoW would continue on the same route to Sawai Madhopur as Palace on Wheels, for this season. For more details about the route and charges, visit http://royalrajasthanpalaceonwheels.com/royalrajasthanonwheels.html
Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
Following the success of 'Palace on Wheels', another new luxury train called 'Royal Rajasthan on Wheels' is about to be launched in December 2008. The itinerary of the train will be similar to the Palace on Wheels, with the journey starting from Jaipur instead of New Delhi. The train is purported to be more luxurious with more onboard facilities such as a spa, retrobars, a boardroom and Internet accessibility.
The 'Palace on Wheels' luxury train
The Palace on Wheels is an exotic luxury train providing unique journeys through the heritage centres of Rajasthan since it began operating in 1982. The immensely popular heritage train which won the PATA gold award in 1987, is today rated as one of the top ten luxurious trains in the world. Uptil early 2001, it has carried over 32000 tourists in over 520 trips.
The coaches originally used on the train are believed to have been ornately designed in ethnic Rajasthani style to serve the erstwhile royalty of the princely states. With the annexation of these royal states post-independence, these trains fell into disuse due to their luxurious interiors which were unfit for normal passenger trains. Therefore the 'Palace on Wheels' project gave a new lease of life to these coaches up until 1991 when the old train was replaced by a new air-conditioned meter gauge train designed as a replica of the old heritage train.
The Palace on Wheels comprises of 14 saloons or coaches - each named after a former princely state. Each saloon has 4 cabins with twin beds, attached toilets, shower, a lounge with TV and other amenities. There are 52 rooms in total varyingly allocated to Single, Double and Triple occupancies. Any fully-booked tour would have around 104 passengers. The train has two restaurants serving Continental, Chinese and of course, Indian cuisines, and also a drinks bar.
The standard tour is an eight-day seven-night journey and includes stops at Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Fatehpur Sikri, Bharatpur and Agra. While in Jaipur, a bus transports you from the train to the various attractions around the city such as the Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, etc and then back to the train at the end of the day. You can check out the itinerary and other details from the website www.palaceonwheels.net. Bookings are recommended to be made as early as possible because rooms for the peak tourist season get sold out around 8 to 10 months in advance. There is also a waiting list for the sold-out departure dates, so if you find a tour date that you really want and it is sold out, you can try your luck by getting your name added to the waiting list and see if by chance something becomes available!
The coaches originally used on the train are believed to have been ornately designed in ethnic Rajasthani style to serve the erstwhile royalty of the princely states. With the annexation of these royal states post-independence, these trains fell into disuse due to their luxurious interiors which were unfit for normal passenger trains. Therefore the 'Palace on Wheels' project gave a new lease of life to these coaches up until 1991 when the old train was replaced by a new air-conditioned meter gauge train designed as a replica of the old heritage train.
The Palace on Wheels comprises of 14 saloons or coaches - each named after a former princely state. Each saloon has 4 cabins with twin beds, attached toilets, shower, a lounge with TV and other amenities. There are 52 rooms in total varyingly allocated to Single, Double and Triple occupancies. Any fully-booked tour would have around 104 passengers. The train has two restaurants serving Continental, Chinese and of course, Indian cuisines, and also a drinks bar.
The standard tour is an eight-day seven-night journey and includes stops at Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Fatehpur Sikri, Bharatpur and Agra. While in Jaipur, a bus transports you from the train to the various attractions around the city such as the Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, etc and then back to the train at the end of the day. You can check out the itinerary and other details from the website www.palaceonwheels.net. Bookings are recommended to be made as early as possible because rooms for the peak tourist season get sold out around 8 to 10 months in advance. There is also a waiting list for the sold-out departure dates, so if you find a tour date that you really want and it is sold out, you can try your luck by getting your name added to the waiting list and see if by chance something becomes available!
Getting around Jaipur city
The best way to get around the city of Jaipur is by autorickshaw, which you can hail down anywhere. Make sure that the driver turns on the ‘meter’ or if not, that a rate is negotiated. Cycle-rickshaws are cheaper but slow, so a good way to go around if you just want to observe the daily street life at a lazy and leisurely pace – not that most tourists are expected to have that amount of free time in their itinerary. Taxis in Jaipur are convenient, comfortable and much safer; with rates double that of an autorickshaw. If you are travelling to a far place on the outskirts or outside the city limits, it is a good idea to take a taxi. But just like in most other cities and towns in India, you won’t see them running freely on the streets waiting for fares to hail them down (except in airports). Therefore, if you want to travel in a taxi, you will have to book them in advance. This you can do by arranging with one that you have already travelled in or call one of the taxi hotlines, or simply ask your hotel to fix you one. While arranging, remember to mention the exact destination and to negotiate on a fare (or best, just agree to use the meter). The taxi will pick you up wherever you want, but it is always safer to take down their mobile phone number just in case.
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