Howrah New Delhi Rajdhani Express started today.
Exactly 54 years ago today, Calcutta Rajdhani (earlier name. Sealdah Rajdhani was not operational then) Train No. 12301, left Howrah at 4:55 pm and reached New Delhi at 10 am the next day.
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The journey started on March 3, 1969 On the first day, the train covered 1445 km in 17...
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hours and 20 minutes Rajdhani emerged as the best train in the country in terms of passenger comfort and speed. Guard S. O. Levy signaled the driver GL Tocher to leave the train by waving the green flag. 53 years ago, the speed revolution came in Indian Railways through that train While the maximum speed on the railway was 60 mph or 96 km, the maximum speed in the capital was 120 km In the beginning there were only 9 coaches of Rajdhani Express Five of them were AC chair cars and one first class AC room Besides, there was a dining-cum-lounge car and two generator cars. On those days, the chair car of the Rajdhani Express, which was running on diesel engines, was of advanced class with air-conditioned sleeper rooms. 25 pairs of Rajdhani Express now run across the country. At the beginning of the journey, special attention was paid to the food menu of the passengers in the Rajdhani Express. Custard caramel was reserved for first class passengers. Besides, there was soup for all the passengers. Fish fry and rosagolla for dinner.
Batanuku first class fare in the capital was initially Tk 280, and chair car fare was Tk 90 (Howrah-Delhi). The train stopped at Dhanbad, Mughalsarai, Allahabad stations en route. Gaya and Kanpur were the 'crew changing points'. There was no commercial stoppage. Tickets were issued on 'end to end' basis, i.e. from Howrah-Dhanbad-Mughalsarai only to New Delhi.
Early trains had two lounge cars. There, one could sit on the sofa by the window and read newspapers and magazines with tea and coffee brought from the pantry car. Later two lounge cars were added to Santiniketan Express. The chair car is then up, reasoning that it is against the chair car's physical comfort during the night journey. Then two-tier in 1983 and three-tier in 1993. The train runs twice a week (Monday and Friday from Howrah, Wednesday and Saturday from New Delhi). Provision was made for evening tea, dinner and breakfast to be delivered from the pantry car to the passenger seat. Capital tickets were also different. A single page ticket with flaps of thick paper on both sides like the airline tickets of that time. Image of Qutub Minar and Howrah Bridge with 'Rajdhani Express' written in English on the cover.
The railway authorities specially celebrate this day to mark the 50th anniversary of the start of the journey to the capital four years ago in 2019.