Rajdhani Express
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2012) |
 Rajdhani Express with LHB Coaches | |
| Main Operation(s) | India |
|---|---|
| Fleet size | 24 |
| Parent company | Indian Railways |
The Rajdhani Express is a series of express passenger train services in India operated by Indian Railways connecting the national capital New Delhi with the capital and/or largest cities of various states. Rajdhani means "The Capital" in many Indian languages. The Rajdhanis are among the fastest trains in India along with Tejas Express, Gatimaan Express, Shatabdi Express and Duronto Express and get the highest priority on the Indian railway network.
History
The first Rajdhani Express was introduced in 1969,[1] for providing fast connections (up to 180 km/h or 110 mph, speed variation depending upon the particular track section) from New Delhi to the capital cities of various states in India. The first Rajdhani Express left New Delhi station for Howrah station to cover a distance of 1,445 km in 17 hours 20 mins.[2]
The Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, one of the most important trains in India, was introduced on 17 May 1972.[1]
Until 1988, with the introduction of the Bhopal Shatabdi Express at 140 km/hr, the Rajdhani was the fastest train in India reaching speeds of 115-120 km/hr.[1]
About
Rajdhani express gets the highest priority on the Indian railway network.[2] They are fully air-conditioned. Passengers are served meals (food price included in the train fare) during the journey. Depending on the duration and timings of the journey, these could include morning tea, breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner.[2] All Rajdhani Express trains offer three classes of accommodation: AC First Class with 2-berth and 4-berth lockable bedrooms, AC 2-tier with open berths (bays of 4 berths + 2 berths on the other side of the corridor) with curtains for privacy, and AC 3-tier (bays of 6 berths + 2 berths on the side) without curtains. Currently there are 24 pairs of trains, connecting New Delhi to important cities across the country. These trains have fewer stops than other express trains and halt only at prominent stations. Recently Dynamic pricing has been introduced on all Rajdhani express trains.
Routes
There are currently 24 pairs of Rajdhani Express operational:[3][4][5]
| State(s) | Train Name | Train Number(s) | Distance | Average Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assam | Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express | 12423/12424 | 2434 km | 65 km/h |
| Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (via Hajipur) | 12435/12436 | 2458 km | 58 km/h | |
| Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (via Muzzafarpur) | 12235/12236 | 2452 km | 56 km/h | |
| Bihar | Patna Rajdhani Express | 12309/12310 | 999 km | 80 km/h |
| Chhattisgarh | Bilaspur Rajdhani | 12441/12442 | 1501 km | 74 km/h |
| Goa | Madgaon Rajdhani | 22413/22414 | 2094 km | 71 km/h |
| Gujarat | Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani | 12957/12958 | 934 km | 68 km/h |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Jammu Rajdhani | 12425/12426 | 582 km | 64 km/h |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi Rajdhani (via Bokaro) | 12439/12440 | 1305 km | 74 km/h |
| Ranchi Rajdhani (via Daltonganj) | 12453/12454 | 1341 km | 76 km/h | |
| Karnataka | Bangalore Rajdhani | 22691/22692 | 2365 km | 70 km/h |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani | 12431/12432 | 3149 km | 76 km/h |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai Rajdhani | 12951/12952 | 1384 km | 88 km/h |
| August Kranti Rajdhani | 12953/12954 | 1377 km | 79 km/h | |
| Bandra Rajdhani | 09003/09004 | 1367 km | 98 km/h | |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar Rajdhani (via Adra) | 22811/22812 | 1723 km | 74 km/h |
| Bhubaneswar Rajdhani (via Bokaro) | 22823/22824 | 1800 km | 76 km/h | |
| Bhubaneswar Rajdhani (via Sambalpur) | 20817/20818 | 1914 km | 70 km/h | |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai Rajdhani | 12433/12434 | 2175 km | 77 km/h |
| Telangana | Secunderabad Rajdhani | 12437/12438 | 1661 km | 76 km/h |
| Tripura | Agartala Rajdhani | 20501/20502 | 2421 km | 59 km/h |
| West Bengal | Howrah Rajdhani (via Gaya) | 12301/12302 | 1447 km | 85 km/h |
| Howrah Rajdhani (via Patna) | 12305/12306 | 1530 km | 76 km/h | |
| Sealdah Rajdhani | 12313/12314 | 1479 km | 82 km/h |
Gallery
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Mumbai Rajdhani -
Mumbai Rajdhani -
Interior First Class compartment -
Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani -
Bhubaneswar Rajdhani -
August Kranti Rajdhani -
Sealdah Rajdhani -
Bhubaneswar Rajdhani express -
Chennai Rajdhani in old ICF rake -
First Class AC Coach of Bangalore Rajdhani Express -
Food in Rajdhani Express -
Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express
Incidents
On 25 June 2014, at least four passengers were killed and eight injured when the New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express derailed at Goldin Ganj station near Chapra in suspected sabotage by Maoists. The train was heading towards Dibrugarh .[6]
On the morning on 14th Sept, 2017, at around 6.00 a.m. IST, a coach of the New Delhi-Ranchi Rajdhani Express derailed at the New Delhi station. According to a railway spokesperson, no one was injured in the incident.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express turns 40". Times of India. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b c "Rajdhani Express and Duronto Express Trains". MakeMyTrip. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Rajdhani Express trains". Indian Railways. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ^ "List of all Rajdhani Express trains". etrain.info. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ "12424/New Delhi — Dibrugarh Town Rajdhani Express". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "Rajdhani Express derails near Chhapra in Bihar; Railway suspects 'sabotage'". timesofindia-economictimes. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ "Rajdhani Express coach derails at New Delhi Railway Station". timesofindia-indiatimes. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
External links
- List of All Rajdhani Trains Operated by Indian Railways
- Menu of Meals served in Rajdhani Express
- List of All Rajdhani Express Trains
- Travelling in Rajdhani Express
Tejas Rajdhani Express trains are also listed here | |||||
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