Heritage on Wheels and Palace on Wheels get confused with each other often enough that it's worth clearing up directly: they were never the same trip, they never covered the same route, and — based on the most recent information available — only one of them is currently running on a regular schedule.
What Heritage on Wheels Actually Was
Heritage on Wheels was a genuine train, not a misspelling or a rebrand of Palace on Wheels. It ran as a joint venture between the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and Indian Railways, the same partnership structure behind Palace on Wheels, but it was a physically different train on a different gauge of track, covering a different part of Rajasthan entirely.
Heritage on Wheels covered Bikaner and the Shekhawati region — desert forts, painted havelis, and the Tal Chhapar wildlife sanctuary — departing from Jaipur rather than Delhi, on a 3-night, 4-day circuit. That's a fundamentally shorter and geographically different trip than the 7-night, 8-day Delhi-to-Agra circuit Palace on Wheels runs.
Is Heritage on Wheels Still Running?
Based on the most recent information available, no — not as a regularly scheduled train. Multiple sources, including operators who previously sold Heritage on Wheels departures, now describe it as discontinued, with only occasional short circuits offered on request using the Palace on Wheels rake itself rather than dedicated Heritage on Wheels rolling stock. If you've found older content online referencing Heritage on Wheels fares or a fixed departure schedule, treat it as historical rather than current — confirm directly with RTDC or an authorized agent before assuming any Heritage on Wheels departure is bookable for your travel dates.
Side-by-Side: What Actually Separated the Two Trains
| Palace on Wheels | Heritage on Wheels | |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Delhi – Jaipur – Sawai Madhopur – Chittorgarh – Udaipur – Jaisalmer – Jodhpur – Bharatpur – Agra – Delhi | Jaipur – Bikaner – Shekhawati region – Jaipur |
| Duration | 7 nights, 8 days | 3 nights, 4 days |
| Departure city | New Delhi | Jaipur |
| Track gauge | Broad gauge | Meter gauge |
| Current status | Actively running, weekly departures | Discontinued as a regular scheduled service |
Why the Confusion Happens
Both trains share the same operating partnership (RTDC and Indian Railways), both use similar heritage-styled cabin language in their marketing, and "Heritage" appears in enough related branding — including a since-discontinued short-circuit product once marketed as "Heritage Palace on Wheels" — that the names blur together in search results. None of that made them interchangeable trips; it just made them easy to mix up while researching.
If You Were Looking for the Bikaner & Shekhawati Region Specifically
If Heritage on Wheels' original route was what drew you in — the desert forts and havelis of Bikaner and Shekhawati rather than the classic Rajasthan-and-Agra circuit — that specific itinerary isn't currently available as a standing luxury train product. Independent travel to that region remains possible outside of a dedicated luxury train, but it won't be the same all-inclusive rail experience Heritage on Wheels once offered.
Why Palace on Wheels Is the Active Choice
For travelers comparing the two, the practical answer is straightforward: Palace on Wheels is the one currently operating on a fixed weekly schedule, with published pricing, real availability, and over four decades of continuous operation (aside from a pandemic-era pause between 2020 and 2022) behind it. It's a longer, more comprehensive circuit than Heritage on Wheels ever was, covering eight destinations across Rajasthan and Agra rather than one regional pocket.
See our full Route Guide for everything the Palace on Wheels itinerary covers, or check current departure dates and pricing before you book.
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