Howrah Rajdhani Express At Beautiful Curve - Special Upload
1,115 views · Published 25 September 2018 · 1:33 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: H. Ankit · 2018 · Travel & Events
12302 New Delhi - Howrah Rajdhani Express Exits Tilak Bridge And Curves Towards Yamuna Bridge. About Howrah Rajdhani-- Howrah Rajdhani is a Rajdhani class train which connects New Delhi to Howrah, Kolkata. It is the only Rajdhani Express Having Onboard WiFi Facilities and One Of The Few Trains Drawing Power Through HOG Mechanism. Howrah Rajdhani was the first Rajdhani Express in India, thereby becoming the first fully air-conditioned train in the country. The train is one of the fastest in India with an average speed of 88 km/h (55 mph). Howrah Rajdhani Express began operations on 3rd March, 1969. The train departed from the New Delhi railway station to reach the Howrah Junction railway station in 17 hours 20 mins, covering a distance of 1,451 km (902 mi) .The express train reduced the travel time from Delhi to West Bengal from an earlier 24 hours to 17 hours. It was initially a bi-weekly train and was hauled by a single WDM-4 locomotive. It left Howrah on Wednesdays and Saturdays and left New Delhi on Mondays and Fridays. The booked speed for the train was 115 km/h (71 mph) while maximum permissible speed limit was 120 km/h (75 mph). At that time it was the only train allowed to run at such a speed. The train used to run via Grand Chord (Sitarampur - Mughalsarai via Gaya). It used to have no intermediate passenger stop, however it had technical halt at Gomoh, Mughalsarai and Kanpur Central for refilling of the overhead water tank and to replenish the on-board catering stores. Passengers could sit in the lounge next to pantry car and read magazines and play cards. Such recreational accessories were supplied free of cost in the lounge. In April 1971, the Northern Railway (NR) introduced a quota of 10 seats in the AC Chair Car of the train for Howrah-Kanpur passengers and 10 seats for Howrah-New Delhi passengers. Thus Kanpur also became a passenger stop for the Howrah Rajdhani Express. Eventually Mughalsarai was also turned into a passenger cum technical stop. Dhanbad was newly introduced as a passenger stop. The stoppage from Gomoh was removed. In 1 November 1971, the maximum speed limit of Howrah Rajdhani Express was increased from 120 km/h (75 mph) to 130 km/h (81 mph). This also reduced the running time for the Up train by 25 minutes and Down train by 30 minutes. Even though, Howrah-New Delhi trunk route via Grand-Chord had been fully electrified by 1976, Howrah Rajdhani used to be hauled by a WDM-4. Indian Railways felt the necessity of introducing a new electric locomotive for Howrah Rajdhani express to promote higher speed economically, Howrah-New Delhi route having already been fully electrified. Thus, CLW received the commission of building the first WAP-1 locomotive in 1980[5] with a matching livery. But it was not until 1983 that the train would be hauled by WAP-1. The WAP-1 AC electric locomotive could haul 18 coaches of Rajdhani at a speed of 125 km/h (78 mph). By that time, the coaches of Howrah Rajdhani had been augmented with new AC 2 tier coaches being introduced. Usually a single WAP-1 loco from Ghaziabad shed would haul the train through late 1980s though occasionally twin WAP-1 could also be spotted. Later, WAP-2 locomotives were also used to pull the train sometimes. In 1986, the train got air-brakes. In the event of failure of the regular WAP-1 locomotive, a WAG-7 was used to haul the train as WAG-7 was at that time one of the rarer locomotives to be equipped with air-brakes. It was also the first train to be hauled by WAP-5 locomotive. In the early days of the WAP-5 locos, the train was hauled by WAP-1 locos on Tuesdays and Fridays (when it went through Patna) and dual WDM-2 locos hauled it from Mughalsarai onwards. In 1993, AC-3 Tier coaches were introduced in Howrah Rajdhani via Main Line(Patna). Thus, Howrah Rajdhani would boast a coach combination of AC Chair Cars, AC 3-Tiers, AC 2-Tiers and AC First. It is regularly hauled by a WAP 7 locomotive of Howrah and Ghaziabad. The trains comprises 2 First AC (1A), 5 AC 2-Tiers (2A), around 10 AC 3-Tiers (3A), 1 AC Hot Buffet Car (i.e. Pantry Car) & 2 Luggage/Parcel cum Generator cum Brake van one of which is provided with the Guards' cabin(Known As EOG). It runs as 12305 Howrah - New Delhi Rajdhani Express via Jasidih-Patna-Mughalsarai on Sunday and As 12306 on Friday via Mughalsarai-Patna-Jasidih (Mainline).