Jaisalmer: The Palace on Wheels, Rajasthan’s flagship luxury train, cancelled 10 of its 32 scheduled trips this season as the US-Israel attacks on Iran and the ensuing Middle East war triggered low bookings and last-minute cancellations.The train reached Jaisalmer Sunday on its final trip of the season with 30 passengers. Two trips scheduled after this were cancelled due to lack of bookings.In its 43-year history, this is the second time about 31% of its trips were cancelled. It is also the second consecutive year of disruption linked to global conflicts. Last season, 10 trips were cancelled amid the Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine crisis.A maximum of 84 passengers can travel at a time. Under operating rules, a trip does not run unless at least 14 cabins are booked. This season, bookings on several occasions did not reach even 10 cabins, leading to cancellations.Pankaj Jha, Jaisalmer Railway Station Superintendent, said, “Eight trips were already cancelled and the two scheduled after that were also cancelled,” taking the total to 10 cancellations this season. The train resumed operations after Covid in Dec 2022 and was privatised in 2023.
