Duronto Express

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Duronto Express
Yeshvantapur Duronto Express.jpg
An Air Conditioned 3 Tier coach of Duronto Express
Overview
StatusActive
First service18 September 2009;14 years ago (18 September 2009)
Successor Vande Bharat (sleeper trainset)
Current operator(s) Indian Railways
Website http://indianrail.gov.in
Route
Line(s) used24
On-board services
Class(es) AC First Class, AC Two Tier, AC Three Tier, AC Three Tier Economy, Sleeper Class, 2nd Class Sitting
Seating arrangementsYes
Sleeping arrangementsYes
Catering facilitiesOn-board catering
Observation facilitiesLarge Windows, Reading Light, Announcement speaker in all class
Baggage facilitiesUnderseat
Technical
Rolling stock LHB coach
Track gauge 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification In 20 trains
Operating speedAvg: 63 - 83  km/h
Max: 130  km/h
Track owner(s) Indian Railways

Duronto Express, translating to "Speedster" in Bengali, is a class of long-distance rapid trains operated by Indian Railways. Initially conceived to operate non-stop between origin and destination stations, since January 2016, these trains have been permitted to make additional commercial stops and accept ticket bookings from technical halts. Before the introduction of trains like the Gatimaan Express and Vande Bharat Express, Duronto trains held the distinction of being the fastest trains in India. Unlike its counterpart, the Rajdhani Express, which links India's capital, Delhi, to state capitals, the Duronto Express connects major metropolitan areas, state capitals, and the national capital. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The Government of India's Ministry of Railways has pursued the introduction of high-speed rail services in India. In 2007, the ministry initiated a pre-feasibility study for a 500-kilometre corridor between Delhi and Amritsar. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced plans in January 2009 to engage global consultants for the implementation of high-speed trains on select routes. The Indian Railway Budget for the fiscal year 2010 saw the establishment of the National High Speed Rail Authority (NHSRA) under Banerjee's leadership, aimed at developing high-speed rail corridors across the country. The Duronto Express project was part of the government's initiatives to introduce semi-high speed rail travel ahead of the full implementation of high-speed railways. [3]

In line with these efforts, Mamata Banerjee flagged off the inaugural Duronto Express service from Sealdah Railway Station to New Delhi on 18 September 2009. The objective of this train service was to provide high-speed rail connectivity comparable to the Rajdhani Express between various metropolitan and non-metropolitan cities, catering to diverse segments of the population. Unlike the Rajdhani Express, which primarily offered air-conditioned coaches, the Duronto Express was designed to accommodate a range of reserved coaches, including AC First Class, AC Two Tier, AC Three Tier, AC Three Tier Economy, and Sleeper Class. Notably, the initial journey of the Duronto Express from Sealdah to New Delhi featured AC First Class, AC Two Tier, AC Three Tier, and AC Three Tier Economy coaches. [4]

About

The Duronto Express holds the second highest priority among trains on the Indian railway network. Passengers aboard this service are provided with optional meals, with the cost of food included in the train fare. Depending on the duration and timing of the journey, passengers can expect to be served morning tea, breakfast, lunch, high tea, and dinner.

Duronto Express trains offer three classes of accommodation:

Currently, the Indian Railways operates a total of 24 Duronto Express trains across various routes in the country.

List of Duronto Express trains

#Train no.Origin StationTerminal StationZoneFrequencyDistanceTravel TimeAvg speedHaltsInauguration
1 12259/12260 Sealdah Bikaner Jn ER 4 Days/wk1,920 km (1,193 mi)25h 20m76.18 km/h (47 mph)10September 18, 2009
2 12269/12270 MGR Chennai Central Hazrat Nizamuddin SR Bi-weekly2,175 km (1,351 mi)28h 05m76.28 km/h (47 mph)6September 21, 2009
3 12261/12262 CSMT Mumbai Howrah SER 4 Days/wk1,965 km (1,221 mi)27h 00m73.57 km/h (46 mph)6September 29, 2009
4 12263/12264 Pune Jn Hazrat Nizamuddin NR Bi-weekly1,511 km (939 mi)19h 54m76.96 km/h (48 mph)5September 29, 2009
5 12289/12290 CSMT Mumbai Nagpur Jn CR Daily835 km (519 mi)11h 05m72.78 km/h (45 mph)2November 21, 2009
6 12267/12268 Mumbai Central Hapa WR Daily815 km (506 mi)11h 40m69.01 km/h (43 mph)3December 22, 2009
7 12245/12246 Howrah SMVT Bengaluru SER 5 Days/wk1,937 km (1,204 mi)29h 00m66 km/h (41 mph)4December 30, 2009
8 12283/12284 Ernakulam Jn Hazrat Nizamuddin NR Weekly2,638 km (1,639 mi)41h 55m68.04 km/h (42 mph)10March 07, 2010
9 12285/12286 Secunderabad Jn Hazrat Nizamuddin SCR Bi-weekly1,661 km (1,032 mi)21h 50m75.77 km/h (47 mph)4March 14, 2010
10 12265/12266 Delhi Sarai Rohilla Jammu Tawi NR Tri-weekly576 km (358 mi)08h 40m66.05 km/h (41 mph)1April 01, 2010
11 12273/12274 Howrah New Delhi ER Bi-weekly1,531 km (951 mi)22h 05m69.59 km/h (43 mph)5April 02, 2010
12 12281/12282 Bhubaneswar New Delhi ECoR Weekly1,730 km (1,075 mi)23h 05m75.08 km/h (47 mph)5April 04, 2010
13 12221/12222 Pune Jn Howrah SER Bi-weekly2,015 km (1,252 mi)29h 00m70.70 km/h (44 mph)07October 11, 2010
14 12223/12224 Mumbai LTT Ernakulam Jn CR Bi-weekly1,599 km (994 mi)22h 00m68.08 km/h (42 mph)5January 18, 2011
15 12227/12228 Mumbai Central Indore Jn WR Bi-weekly829 km (515 mi)11h 10m73.16 km/h (45 mph)3January 26, 2011
16 12213/12214 Yesvantpur Jn Delhi Sarai Rohilla SWR Weekly2,362 km (1,468 mi)31h 55m72.48 km/h (45 mph)6February 19, 2011
17 12219/12220 Mumbai LTT Secunderabad Jn SCR Bi-weekly770 km (478 mi)12h 05m64.41 km/h (40 mph)3February 23, 2011
18 12239/12240 Mumbai Central Hisar Jn WR Bi-weekly1,511 km (939 mi)21h 25m68.72 km/h (43 mph)10April 03, 2011
19 22201/22202 Sealdah Puri ER Tri-weekly518 km (322 mi)07h 55m63.27 km/h (39 mph)2February 12, 2012
20 22213/22214 Kolkata - Shalimar Patna Jn SER Tri-weekly537 km (334 mi)08h 20m64.23 km/h (40 mph)2February 19, 2012
21 12297/12298 Ahmedabad Jn Pune Jn CR Tri-weekly625 km (388 mi)08h 45m71.11 km/h (44 mph)3March 11, 2012
22 12293/12294 Mumbai LTT Prayagraj Jn CR Bi-weekly1,342 km (834 mi)19h 20m69.12 km/h (43 mph)4March 16, 2012
23 22209/22210 Mumbai Central New Delhi WR Bi-weekly1,386 km (861 mi)16h 45m83 km/h (52 mph)3March 23, 2012
24 22203/22204 Visakhapatnam Jn Secunderabad Jn SCR Tri-weekly663 km (412 mi)10h 35m64.75 km/h (40 mph)2Jully 08, 2012

List of defunct Duronto Express trains

#Previous serviceNow running as
1 Ajmer–Hazrat Nizamuddin Duronto Express Ajmer–Delhi Sarai Rohilla Jan Shatabdi Express
2Howrah–Puri Duronto Express Howrah–Puri Shatabdi Express
3Chennai–Coimbatore AC Duronto Express Chennai Central–Coimbatore Shatabdi Express
4Chennai–Thiruvananthapuram AC Duronto Express Chennai–Thiruvananthapuram AC Superfast Express
5Amritsar–Chandigarh Duronto Express Amritsar–Chandigarh Superfast Express
6 Lucknow–New Delhi AC Duronto Express Lucknow–New Delhi AC Superfast Express
7Howrah–Digha Duronto ExpressHowrah–Digha AC Superfast Express [5]
8Prayagraj–New Delhi Duronto Express Prayagraj–New Delhi Humsafar Express
9 Chennai–Madurai AC Duronto Express Chennai Central–Madurai AC Superfast Express

Efficiency and speed

The Duronto Express is one of the fastest trains in India. Some of these trains run faster than Rajdhani Express [6] trains which hold the record of the fastest long-distance trains in India.For example, the Chennai–Hazrat Nizamuddin Duronto Express takes 28 hours to cover the journey while the Chennai Rajdhani Express takes 28 hours 35 minutes to do so. The trains will adhere to the speed limit of 130 km/h. New Delhi–Sealdah Duronto Express has a top speed of 130 km/h. The Mumbai, Sealdah, Yeshwantpur and Secundrabad Duronto runs at a speed of 130 km/h. The Howrah/Bhubaneshwar New Delhi, Secunderabad Hazrat Nizamuddin are now equipped with LHB rakes and now they also run at a speed of 130 km/h [7] In March 2011, the cost of travel in the Duronto Express went up as the Minister of Railways announced a hike in railway fare. The decision to hike railway fares resulted in trouble across the Government and were rolled back, [8] only to be raised again on 1 April. [9]

Incidents and accidents

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajdhani Express</span> Series of Express trains in India

The Rajdhani 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 get a higher priority on the railway network.

<i>Chennai Rajdhani Express</i> Train in India

The 12433 / 12434 Chennai Central – Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express is an important train connecting Chennai & New Delhi. According to 1997-98 railway budget, pantry car service was introduced on 2633/2634 Hazrat Nizamuddin-Chennai Rajdhani Express in 1996-97 and maybe it was introduced then (1996–97). Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express used to terminate at Madras (Chennai) Central and presently avoids Chennai and it is older than the current Chennai Rajdhani Express and this Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express was first introduced in 1993 and runs twice a week from Delhi and twice from Chennai. The Chennai Rajdhani is a fast alternative to the classic Grand Trunk Express and the modern Superfast Tamil Nadu Express. The Chennai Rajdhani Express covers a distance of 2176 kilometers in 28 hours 10 minutes as compared to 33 hours and 5 min covered by Tamil Nadu Express and 35 hours and 15 minutes taken by Grand Trunk Express. It shares the record of being the second fastest train between Chennai Central and Hazrat Nizamuddin covering the distance of 2175 km in 28 hours and 10 minutes as Chennai Duronto covering the 2,175 km journey in 27 hours and 55 minutes but in return it does not happen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garib Rath Express</span> Series of Express train in India

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The 12431 / 12432 Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express is a Rajdhani Express train service in India, connecting Hazrat Nizamuddin in the country capital New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram Central, the capital of Kerala state. It is the longest-running Rajdhani Express train in India, which covers about 2845 km in about 42 hours.

<i>Bangalore Rajdhani Express</i> Rajdhani Express train route in India

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<i>Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Secunderabad AC Duronto Express</i>

The Secunderabad–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Duronto Express is a Superfast Express train under Duronto category that operates between Secunderabad Junction and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus.

<i>Secunderabad–Hazrat Nizamuddin Duronto Express</i>

The Secunderabad–Hazrat Nizamuddin Duronto Express is a Duronto Express train of the Indian Railways connecting Secunderabad (SC) to Delhi Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM). It is the fastest train between New Delhi and Secunderabad with a travel time of 22 hours.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howrah–New Delhi Duronto Express</span> Train in India

The 12273/74 Howrah–New Delhi Duronto Express is a Duronto class train which operates between the capital of West Bengal, Kolkata and the national capital New Delhi. It is the second Duronto Express connecting Delhi to Kolkata, the other one being the Sealdah–Bikaner Duronto Express. Most of the other Duronto trains take less travel time than their Rajdhani counterparts. Therefore, before the introduction of the Howrah Duronto, it was expected to be the fastest service on the route by many Indian railfans. The Rajdhani Express gets top-most priority on the route, making it the fastest train in the Howrah–Delhi route. But, the Rajdhani continues to be the fastest as both trains cover the same distance and despite being a non-stop service, with no commercial halts, the Duronto takes more time than the Rajdhani. It has been running with modern LHB rakes since 2 July 2021, having a maximum permissible speed of 130 km/h, thus replacing the hybrid LHB Rakes which have a maximum permissible speed of 120 km/h.

<i>Mumbai Central–New Delhi Duronto Express</i> Indian passenger train service

Mumbai–New Delhi Duronto Express, also known as Mumbai AC Duronto Express, is a 16 Coached fully air-conditioned, non-stop version of Duronto-type service running between Mumbai Central and New Delhi. It is one of the fastest train to connect Maharashtra to Delhi. It is maintained by Western Railways (WR), Mumbai division. This train did not make any commercial halts in the past, but now does at Vadodara, Ratlam and Kota. In the up direction, from New Delhi to Mumbai, the service runs with train number 22210 and in down direction, from Mumbai to New Delhi, as train number 22209. Post extension of Sealdah–New Delhi Duronto to Bikaner, this train is currently the fastest Duronto Express in Indian Railways.

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References

  1. "Mamata flags off first Duronto Express". Hindustan Times. 19 September 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  2. "English Releases". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  3. Communications, U. I. C. (12 April 2024). "India: India's Rail Minister announced plans for high-speed trains for Asia's largest rail network". UIC Communications. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  4. "English Releases". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  5. pib.nic.in, Retrieved 11 June 2019
  6. "Duronto Trains Will Be Faster Than Rajdhani". India TV. 3 July 2009. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  7. "Duronto blazing new tracks". The Hindu . 21 September 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  8. "Didi's Duronto hits Rajdhani; Trivedi hikes fares". DNA India. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  9. "Revised train fares from April 1". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  10. "Waitlisted causing trouble in Duronto". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  11. "Harrowing experience for Duronto Express passengers". The Hindu. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  12. "Duronto Express coaches come loose". The Hindu . 26 June 2010. Archived from the original on 1 July 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  13. Sivanandan T V (12 September 2015). "Duronto train derails near Kalaburagi; 2 dead". The Hindu . Martur, Kalaburagi district . Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  14. "Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto Express derails in Maharashtra, rail services affected between Kalyan and Kasara section - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 September 2017.