The Presidential Saloon is not a train, but a pair of twin coaches (numbered 9000 and 9001) reserved for exclusive use by the President of India. The coaches were built in 1956 and are usually stabled at New Delhi station. The coaches have a dining room that doubles as a visiting room, a lounge room or conference room, and the president's bedroom. There is also a kitchen and chambers for the president's secretaries and staff as well as the railway staff who accompany him. The coaches are luxuriously appointed with teak furniture and silk drapes and cushion covers.
The Presidential Saloon was used regularly by many presidents in the 1960s and early 1970s. A tradition developed of having the president on the...
more... completion of his term use the coaches for his outbound journey from New Delhi to his residence elsewhere in the country although it's not certain when that started. The last president to use the coaches in this way as Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, in 1977.
After that, the coaches fell into disuse for reasons of security and convenience, although they were regularly maintained and inspected at New Delhi despite not being used. After a hiatus of about 26 years, the coaches were used again on May 30, 2003 when the president, Dr A P J Abdul Kalaam used it for a 60km journey from Harnaut to Patna. For his use, the coaches were renovated and provided with modern equipment such as satellite-based communication systems.
History
The predecessor of the Presidential Saloon was the Vice Regal Coach used in the 19th century and the early 20th century by the Viceroy of India. This was kept at Calcutta until 1927 when it was brought to New Delhi when that city became the capital of British India. The Vice Regal Coach was furnished with Persian carpets, a 'sinking sofa', and -- a novelty in Indian trains then -- hot and cold running water. It was not air-conditioned, but used 'khas' mats for air cooling. The first Indian president Dr Rajendra Prasad used this coach after 1950, and used it to travel from New Delhi to Kurukshetra, among other places.
Source of Article-IRFCA
Photograph's Source- Google.