Rajdhani Express Explained

Rajdhani Express
Color:B22222
Color2:B22222
Type:Connecting various state capitals with Delhi
Status:Active
Successor:Tejas-Rajdhani Express
Operator:Indian Railways
Line Used:25
Class:AC 3 tier Class
AC 2 tier Class
AC First Class
Seating:Yes
Sleeping:Yes
Catering:On-board catering services
Observation:Large windows, reading light
Entertainment:Electric outlets
Reading Lights
Baggage:Underseat
Stock:LHB coachs
Gauge: broad gauge
Owners:Indian Railways
Maintenance:Indian Railways

The Rajdhani Express is a series of passenger train services in India operated by Indian Railways connecting the national capital New Delhi with the capitals or the largest cities of various states. Rajdhani, derived from the Sanskrit means "capital". Introduced in 1969, the trains are amongst the premium services operated by Indian Railways and regularly get a higher priority on the railway network.

History

In 1960, the Railway Board of India commissioned a study to increase the speed of its trains, which was restricted to on the existent broad gauge lines.[1] A target of with an intermediate stage of was set for passenger trains. Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) started work on the same in 1962 with field trials commencing in 1967.[1] The coaches were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory at Madras and hauled by diesel locomotives.[1]

On 19 February 1969, the Government of India introduced a new express train capable of reaching speeds of up to as announced in the railway budget.[2] On 1 March 1969, the first Rajdhani Express with nine coaches was flagged off from New Delhi to Howrah with the return journey commencing on 3 March.[3] The train completed the trip in 17 hours 20 minutes and was the only such train in operation till 1972, when the second Rajdhani was introduced from Mumbai.[1]

Rajdhani, derived from the Sanskrit means "capital" and later, with subsequent up-gradation of the tracks, new Rajdhani expresses were introduced connecting major cities with the capital New Delhi.[4]

Rake

Rajdhani trains have fully air-conditioned coaches that have to be reserved in advance. While the trains initially had chair car coaches, now the trains exclusively have sleeper coaches in three configurations: first class, two-tier and three-tier.[1] The first class has dedicated coupes, two-tier with open bays containing six berths per bay (four berths in two tiers and two on the side of the aisle) with curtains and three-tier with open bays containing eight berths per bay (six berths in two tiers and two berths on the side of the aisle).[5] The coaches were exclusively manufactured by Integral Coach Factory at Chennai till 2006, when LHB coaches manufactured by Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala were introduced.[1], each train-set costs .[6] While the trains are capable of running at higher speeds, the maximum speed is often limited to with the fastest Rajdhani permitted to reach a maximum speed of and average speeds being much lesser due to traffic congestion and lack of supporting tracks.[7] The Rajdhani express trains are usually hauled by WAP-7 electric locomotives.[8]

Tejas-Rajdhani express

In July 2021, Indian railways started upgrading the coaches of Rajdhani express to new Tejas coaches with enhanced features.[9] [10] These coaches are equipped with newer air suspensions, bio-toilets, Wi-Fi, fire alarms, CCTVs, reading lights, dedicated power sockets, automatic doors, passenger information system, improved interior and designed exterior.[11] The trains which are equipped with all new coaches are known as "Tejas Rajdhani" express.[12] Indian Railways plans to introduce Tejas coaches across all Rajdhani trains in a phased manner.[13]

Services

The trains are amongst the premium services operated by Indian Railways and regularly gets a higher priority on the railway network.[14] [15] Passengers are served optional meals by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the menu of which could include morning tea, breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner depending on the duration and timing.[16] These trains have fewer halts than other express trains with stoppages only at prominent stations. Dynamic pricing is applicable on fares across all Rajdhani trains.[17]

Operational trains

There are currently 25 operational pairs of Rajdhani express including seven with Tejas coaches:[18] [19]

Train nameRakeOrigin stationTerminal stationZoneHaltsDistanceTravel timeSpeedInaugural run
1Howrah Rajdhani Express (via Gaya)12301/ 12302LHBHowrahNew DelhiER76 days/wk17h 15m3 March 1969[20]
2Mumbai Tejas Rajdhani Express12951/ 12952TejasMumbai CentralNew DelhiWR6Daily15h 32m17 May 1972[21]
3August Kranti Tejas Rajdhani Express12953/ 12954TejasMumbai CentralHazrat NizamuddinWR10Daily16h 33m1 January 1992[22]
4Bangalore Rajdhani Express22691/ 22692LHBKSR BengaluruHazrat NizamuddinSWR13Daily33h 30m1 November 1992[23]
5Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express12431/ 12432LHBTrivandrum CentralHazrat NizamuddinNR19Tri-weekly41h 15m3 July 1993[24]
6Chennai Rajdhani Express12433/ 12434LHBMGR Chennai CentralHazrat NizamuddinNR8Bi-weekly28h 25m3 July 1993[25]
7Howrah Rajdhani Express (via Patna)12305/ 12306LHBHowrahNew DelhiER7Weekly20h 00m3 July 1993[26]
8Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express (via Adra)22811/ 22812TejasBhubaneswarNew DelhiECoR13Bi-weekly23h 20m1 April 1994[27]
9Bhubaneswar Tejas Rajdhani Express (via Tatanagar)22824/ 22823TejasBhubaneswarNew DelhiECoR134 days/wk24h 30m1 April 1994[28]
10Dibrugarh - New Delhi Rajdhani Express12423/ 12424LHBDibrugarhNew DelhiNR9Daily37h 55m6 July 1994[29]
11Jammu Tawi Rajdhani Express12425/ 12426LHBJammu TawiNew DelhiNR3Daily8h 20m10 July 1994[30]
12Patna Tejas Rajdhani Express12309/ 12310TejasRajendra Nagar TerminalNew DelhiECR4Daily12h 30m1 September 1996[31]
13Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani Express12957/ 12958LHBSabarmati Jn.New DelhiWR9Daily12h 25m1 January 1998[32]
14Secunderabad Rajdhani Express12437/ 12438LHBSecunderabad Jn.Hazrat NizamuddinNR5Weekly21h 40m21 January 1998[33]
15Diburgarh Rajdhani Express (via Bogibeel)20505/ 20506LHBDibrugarhNew DelhiNFR23Bi-weekly39h 38m11 January 1999[34]
16Sealdah Rajdhani Express12313/ 12314LHBSealdahNew DelhiER6Daily18h 00m1 July 2000[35]
17Ranchi Rajdhani Express (via Bokaro)20839/ 20840LHBRanchiNew DelhiSER6Bi-weekly17h 00m17 October 2001[36]
18Bilaspur Rajdhani Express12441/ 12442LHBBilaspur Jn.New DelhiNR8Bi-weekly20h 40m28 October 2001[37]
19Ranchi Rajdhani Express (via Japla)20407/ 20408LHBRanchiNew DelhiNR6Weekly16h 45m11 June 2006[38]
20Ranchi Rajdhani Express (via Chopan)12453/ 12454LHBRanchiNew DelhiNR7Weekly17h 55m11 June 2006[39]
21Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (via Moranhat)20504/ 20503LHBDibrugarhNew DelhiNFR226 days/wk41h 15m6 March 2010[40]
22Madgaon Rajdhani Express22414/ 22413LHBMadgaon Jn.Hazrat NizamuddinNR9Bi-weekly24h 54m20 November 2015[41]
23Agartala Tejas Rajdhani Express20501/ 20502TejasAgartalaAnand Vihar TerminalNFR14Weekly39h 50m28 October 2017[42]
24Bhubaneswar Tejas Rajdhani Express (via Sambalpur)20817/ 20818TejasBhubaneswarNew DelhiECoR14Weekly26h 40m10 February 2018[43]
25Mumbai CSMT Rajdhani Express22221/ 22222LHBMumbai CSMTHazrat NizamuddinCR7Daily17h 55m19 January 2019[44]

Trivia

• The Bilaspur Rajdhani Express is the only Rajdhani Express in India that undergoes loco reversal and loco reversal happens at Nagpur Junction railway station.

• Only Rajdhani Express to operate from Anand Vihar Terminal railway station is Agartala Tejas Rajdhani Express.

Accidents and incidents

In popular culture

Being one of the most popular trains in India, the train's name featured as a title of a Bollywood movie, Rajdhani Express.[54]

Notes and References

  1. News: Railways golden girl: 50 years of the Rajdhani story. Hindustan Times. 9 March 2019. 1 December 2023.
  2. Railway Budget of 1969–70. Indian Railways. 1 December 2023.
  3. News: Kolkata loses last connect to first Rajdhani. 22 May 2016. The Times of India. 1 December 2023.
  4. News: How did Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto Express get their names? Know here. 26 May 2023. Business Standard. 1 December 2023.
  5. Web site: Accommodation Classes in Indian Railways. Indian Railways. 26 April 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170426000003/http://www.indianrail.gov.in/class_Code.html. 26 April 2017.
  6. News: At the cost of one bullet train, India can afford to have 800 Rajdhani trains. 5 June 2018. ABP News. 1 December 2023.
  7. News: Fastest trains of Indian railways. The Economic Times. 1 December 2023.
  8. News: Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains to get faster! Railways rolls out semi high-speed locomotive WAP-7HS. Times Now. 7 March 2019. 1 December 2023.
  9. News: Rajdhani runs with new Tejas rakes. Deccan Herald. 19 July 2021. 1 December 2023.
  10. News: Tyagi. Harshita. Western Railway runs Mumbai–New Delhi Rajdhani Express with new Tejas-like smart sleeper coaches. Times Now. 1 December 2023. 19 July 2021.
  11. Western Railway starts to run Rajdhani Express with New Upgraded Tejas Rakes. 19 July 2021. Indian Railways. 1 December 2023.
  12. All the rakes of Rajdhani will run with Tejas coaches. August 2023. Indian Railways. 1 December 2023.
  13. News: How Railways is giving Rajdhani express a makeover with modern Tejas coaches. 4 July 2023. Mint. 1 December 2023.
  14. News: These are high-priority trains in India. All other trains are bound to give them the pass. Know what is so special about them. Zee news. 17 April 2023. 1 December 2023.
  15. Web site: Rajdhani Express and Duronto Express Trains. MakeMyTrip. 4 September 2012.
  16. News: IRCTC menu for Rajdhani. 22 November 2019. Financial Express. 1 December 2023.
  17. News: New fare scheme for Rajdhani. Mint. 20 November 2018. 1 December 2023.
  18. Web site: List of Rajdhani Express trains. etrain.info. 1 December 2023.
  19. Web site: Rajdhani Express Trains - Railway Enquiry. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  20. Web site: Howrah Rajdhani Express (via Gaya). Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  21. Web site: Mumbai Tejas Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  22. Web site: August Kranti Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  23. Web site: Bangalore Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  24. Web site: Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  25. Web site: Chennai Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  26. Web site: Howrah Rajdhani Express (via Patna). Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  27. Web site: Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express (via Adra). Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  28. Web site: Bhubaneswar Tejas Rajdhani Express (via Tatanagar). Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  29. Web site: Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  30. Web site: Jammu Tawi–New Delhi Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  31. Web site: Patna Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  32. Web site: Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  33. Web site: Secunderabad Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  34. Web site: Dibrugarh–New Delhi Rajdhani Express (via Bogibeel). Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  35. Web site: Sealdah Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  36. Web site: Ranchi Rajdhani Express (via Bokaro). Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  37. Web site: Bilaspur Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  38. Web site: Ranchi Rajdhani Express (via Japla). Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  39. Web site: Ranchi Rajdhani Express (via Chopan). Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  40. Web site: Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (via Moranhat). Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  41. Web site: Madgaon Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  42. Web site: Agartala Tejas Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  43. Web site: Bhubaneswar Tejas Rajdhani Express (via Sambalpur City). Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  44. Web site: Mumbai CSMT Rajdhani Express. Indiarailinfo. 1 December 2023.
  45. News: Odisha Train Accident:Deadliest train crashes in the history of Indian Railways. 3 June 2023. The Economic Times. 1 December 2023.
  46. News: West Bengal: NIA files chargesheet in 2009 Bhubaneswar-Rajdhani hijacking. 23 September 2021. The Times of India. 1 December 2023.
  47. News: Fire on Mumbai Delhi Rajdhani. 18 April 2011. NDTV. 1 December 2023.
  48. News: Rajdhani Express derails near Chhapra in Bihar; Railway suspects 'sabotage'. https://web.archive.org/web/20140627200320/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-06-25/news/50855820_1_goods-train-derailment-east-central-railway-sabotage. dead. 27 June 2014. The Economic Times. 25 June 2014. 28 March 2015.
  49. News: Rajdhani Express coach derails at New Delhi Railway Station. The Times of India. 14 September 2017. 14 September 2017.
  50. News: Coach of Rajdhani Express derails at New Delhi Railway Station. The Times of India. 28 September 2017. 1 September 2023.
  51. News: Truck rams into Trivandrum Rajdhani Express, 1 killed, 2 coaches derailed. 18 October 2018. 1 December 2023. India Today.
  52. News: Coaches of Rajdhani Express separated while passing Kathajodi river. The Times of India. 3 April 2019. 1 September 2023.
  53. News: Bhubaneswar: Rajdhani Express catches fire in Odisha's Balasore. The Times of India. 11 May 2019. 1 September 2023.
  54. News: Leander Paes takes to the Bollywood court. Indian Express. 14 August 2010. 5 January 2013.

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