Guard, S. O. Levi giving the green signal to start the first journey of
Rajdhani from Howrah Driver Pointsman
Bhajan Ram, the oldest employee of Howrah station flagging off the first
journey Howrah
Rajdhani
Sealdah Rajdhani The Sealdah New Delhi
Rajdhani Express was introduced from 1.7.2000 as a bi weekly and its frequency
was increased to four days a week from 1st July 2001.
As the volume of passenger traffic increased in the route connecting the
erstwhile and present capitals of the nation, trial runs for a high speed train
in the popular Howrah - New Delhi route began in 1967. The route via Grand
Chord, which was already in use for some of the fastest trains on the Eastern
Railway, was chosen for the new train, which was to be called the Rajdhani
Express.
The Howrah-Kalka mail was the fastest train at that time and had a maximum
permissible speed of 100 KMPH. It was planned that the fastest train in the
country, fully air conditioned and where meals would be served to the passengers
was to run up to a maximum permissible speed of 120 KMPH.
Extensive work had to be undertaken all along the route to make the track
suitable and safe for running a high speed train. In the absence of telephone
communications and/or warning bells at most of the level crossings en-route,
extensive drives were launched to educate and train the level crossing gatemen
to ensure safety of road traffic.
Rajdhani Express had its maiden run from Howrah on 3rd March, 1969as a bi-weekly
train between Howrah and New Delhi. Eastern Railway thus had the distinction of
running the most prestigious train of the country for the first time. Presently
this train runs on all seven days a week—6 days via Dhanbad and one day via
Patna.
G. L. Tocher
starting the inaugural
Rajdhani
Shatabdi
and Jan Shatabdi comes to Eastern India
The concept of Shatabdi Express came in the 1990’s which spoke of a high speed
fully airconditioned inter city trains with chair car accommodation and an end
to end journey time varying between 5-6 hours. Eastern Railway started its first
Shatabdi on 1. 7.95 between Howrah and Bokaro Steel City .
Another Shatabdi to Patna was introduced from 12.11. 2001.
A medium distance inter city train running from as state capital to a major town
was a concept which came in 2002.
The coaches of the Jan Shatabdis have been specially designed and the purpose is
to give the common man a super fast service at an affordable fare structure. The
Howrah Malda Jan Shatabdi Express was introduced on
29
LHB coaches - Shatabdi and Jan
Shatabdi