Inaugural run of express train took place on May 17, 1972; got three-tier AC coaches in 1992; this train, connecting Mumbai (then Bombay) to New Delhi, was notable for its speed and the luxurious amenities.
Old Rajdhani train at Mumbai Central
The Western Railway among rail fans and officials will be celebrating the 53rd birthday of the Rajdhani Express, a luxury train service, launched in India 1972. The inaugural run of the Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express took place on May 17.
This train, connecting Mumbai (then Bombay) to New Delhi, was notable for its speed and the luxurious amenities. It has been touted as the fastest Rajdhani Express among all the 25 operating in India.
Widely regarded as one of the most premium trains on the Indian Railway network and is given the highest priority in terms of clearance, it was the second Rajdhani Express train in India to be introduced after the Howrah Rajdhani Express which came in 1969. Inaugurated at Mumbai Central station by the then minister of railways K Hanumanthaiya, the train was hauled by a specially retrofitted WDM2 class diesel locomotive and numbered as 151 DN/152 UP Bombay Central-New Delhi Rajdhani.
The first-ever service comprised four air-conditioned chair car coaches (ACC), two air-conditioned sleeper car coaches (AC Sleeper), one air-conditioned first-class coach (AC First Class), one pantry car (PC), and two power cars. It was on May 15, 1992, that the train got three-tier AC coaches.
Until 1974, the Bombay Rajdhani operated as a weekly service, but due to its increasing popularity and passenger demand, its frequency was increased to thrice a week in 1975 and subsequently, the number of coaches increased to 18 from October 2, 1981. In 1982, the train began operating four days a week based on the continuously increasing demand. By 1989, it became six days a week and renumbered from 151 DN/152 UP to 2951 UP/2952 DN. And from October 2, 2000, it began daily services.
The increased rake length also brought to the picture twin diesel locomotives, with it getting the name ‘double-headed’ Rajdhani.
The red and cream livery train was upgraded from ICF coaches to LHB ones in 2003. It was on July 9, 2021, that the train got upgraded to Tejas Rajdhani Express and was upgraded with yellow livery.
25
No. of Rajdhani trains operating across India
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