The Rajdhani Express (lit.'Capital 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 gets a higher priority on the railway network.
Guard, S. O. Levi giving the green signal to start the journey of Rajdhani express on 3 March 1969 from Howrah[2]
On 19 February 1969, the Government of India announced the introduction of a new express train capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) in the railway budget.[3] 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.[4] The train completed the 1,450 km (900 mi) 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.[5]
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).[6] 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] As of 2018[update], each train-set costs ₹75 crore (US$9.4 million).[7] While the trains are capable of running at higher speeds, the maximum speed is often limited to 130 km/h (81 mph) with the fastest Rajdhani permitted to reach a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph) and average speeds being much lesser due to traffic congestion and lack of supporting tracks.[8] The Rajdhani express trains are usually hauled by WAP-7electric locomotives.[9]
Tejas-Rajdhani express
In July 2021, Indian railways started upgrading the coaches of Rajdhani express to new Tejas coaches with enhanced features.[10][11] These coaches will have 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.[12] The trains which are equipped with all new coaches are known as "Tejas Rajdhani" express.[13] Indian Railways plans to introduce Tejas coaches across all Rajdhani trains in a phased manner.[14]
Services
The trains are amongst the premium services operated by Indian Railways and regularly gets a higher priority on the railway network.[15][16] 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.[17] 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.[18]
Operational trains
There are currently 25 operational pairs of Rajdhani express including seven with Tejas coaches:[19][20]
On 25 June 2014, at least four passengers were killed and eight injured when the Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express derailed at Goldin Ganj near Chapra, Bihar in suspected sabotage by Maoists.[49]
On 14 September 2017, Jammu Tawi Rajdhani Express derailed at the New Delhi railway station when entering the platform and no one was injured.[51]
On 18 October 2018, two coaches of Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express derailed at the staffed level crossing near Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh when a speeding truck collided with train due to brake failure. There were no injuries to the passengers in the train but the truck driver was killed due to the collision and the train continued the journey after delay of seven hours.[52]
On 3 April 2019, two coaches of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express uncoupled on the Kathajodi river bridge near Cuttack in Odisha. The train was halted and there was no casualties.[53]
On 11 May 2019, a fire broke out at the generator car of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani near Balasore in Odisha. There were no casualties and the train continued its journey after a delay of two hours.[54]
