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Chapter: 4

Indian Railways and Tourism

The Indian Railway system can be an enormous asset in the

development of the tourism and hospitality industry in the country. India

has about 7,000 railway stations and 11,000 trains. The railways have

a special fascination for foreign tourists who wish to experience the

country both at leisure and close personal contact with the indigenous

people. The qualified success of the ―Palace-on-Wheel‖ substantiates

the contention. For the vast majority of domestic tourists, it is the

railways, which is the main affordable means of travel linking the length

and breadth of the vast and often enhancing subcontinent. Railway

services are equipped not only to meet the travel needs of domestic and

foreign tourists, but also have the infrastructure and land resource to

contribute significantly to the growth of hotel accommodation in the

country.

Tourism Services by Indian Railways:

Indian railway has provided a number of tourism services for the

general public. Existing Range of IRCTC Tourism Products are mainly

(1) Rail Tour Packages (2) Bharat Darshan (3) Educational Tours

(4) Hill Charters (5) Train/Coach Charters (6) Buddhist Circuit Special

Train (7) Maharajas‘ Express (8) Online Air, Cab, Hotel Bookings (9)

LTC Tour Packages (10) Inbound Travel (11) Corporate Travel (12)

Tourism Portal (railtourismindia.com). Indian Railways has a huge

network that covers the entire subcontinent. Thus it happens to be a

convenient means of transportation for people who wish to visit

numerous Tourist Places in India. Some of the hill stations that are of

immense importance are Dalhousie, Auli, Gangtok, Dehradun, Kullu

and Khandala. Heritage sites like Khujraho, Taj Mahal, Konark, Ajanta-

Ellora, Nalanda, Mahabalipuram and Mahabaleshwar etc can also be

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reached via railway network. In addition to this, there are various wildlife

sites in India like Kaziranga National Park, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve,

Sariska Tiger Reserve, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Bandhavagarh

National Park, Kanha National Park and India is also a home to a

number of pilgrimage spots such as golden temple, Varanasi, Mathura,

Haridwar, Bodhgaya and Shirdi. Vacationers can easily find access to

these places by Indian railway government at reasonable prices.

Various train tourism facilities have also been organized by the Indian

government. The travels through trains like the Royal orient and the

palace on wheels in Gujarat and Rajasthan give passengers an

unforgettable experience. The Places to Visit in India is truly a palace

running on wheels and it offers its guests a splendid and royal

treatment. This train is provided with royal comforts which are displayed

in the form of the interior, the facilities and the interior style.

The royal orient is one among the most striking trains in the whole

world. It is jointly administered by the tourism corporation of Gujarat

limited and the Indian railways. It crosses a number of tourist attractions

which still house the memories of opulence of ancient period including

Chittaurgarh, Delhi, Somnath, Veraval, Junagarh, Ahmedpur, Sasan

Gir, Sarkhej/Palitana/Mandvi, Jaipur and Ahemdabad. Apart from these,

there are toy trains which are available which run on the narrow lines.

Toy trains cover a path of 4500 kms traversing the famous hill stations

like Darjeeling, Shimla, Ooty, Matheran and Ootacamund. Another

attraction is the Matheran Light Railway which commences from Neraj

and is connected to Mumbai uptown trains. The journey presents

panoramic scenery to the passengers which add to the thrill of the trip.

Though please note that travelling on these trains will be costlier than

travelling on Book flight to India . So such holidays are not suitable for

people looking for Tourist Attractions in India.

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Mountain Railways of India:

Mountain railways of India are the six or seven odd "chhotey"

(Hindi for small) lines, out of around twenty similar such narrow or metre

gauge lines around the world. Built during the nineteenth and early

twentieth century of the British colonial rule, the Raj, these lines have

been running since then. Today the Indian Railways runs them, along

with the Kashmir Railway, operational since 2005. While four of these

seven: the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1881), the Kalka–Shimla Railway

(1898), the Kangra Valley Railway (1924), and the Kashmir Railway

(2005), are in the rugged hill regions of the Himalayas of Northern India,

two are further down south in the Western Ghats: the Nilgiri Mountain

Railway in Southern India, and the Matheran Hill Railway in Maharashtra;

while the Lumding–Silchar line, built at the turn of the 20th century, lies

deep inside Assam, in the Barak river valley of the Cachar Hills. The

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the

Kalka–Shimla Railway have collectively been designated as a UNESCO

World Heritage Site. These lines connect important hill resorts with the

foot hills, winding their way up through rugged yet scenic mountainous

landscape. Given the terrain they were constructed on during the British

colonial period, they were considered "outstanding examples of the

interchange of values on developments in technology" and engineering

marvels.

The mountain railways in the hills emerged as a result of the

delayed interest evinced during the British Raj for establishing control

over the Himalayas and other mountain ranges of India. It was in 1844

that Sir John Lawrence, the then Viceroy of India, had mooted the idea

of a phased colonization of the hills, particularly as military garrisons.

The British, in a proposal termed simply as ‗Hill Railway‘, considered

establishing geographically and culturally rich, stations across the

country. The hill stations chosen for this purpose were Shimla, the then

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'summer capital' of British India; Darjeeling, known for its tea gardens and

scenic views of the eastern Himalayas in the state of West Bengal, the

Kangra Valley in Himachal Pradesh, Ootacamund in the Nilgiri mountains of

Tamil Nadu and the Matheran hill station in the Western Ghats near

Mumbai were considered. The pioneering effort to link the mountainous

terrain of enchanting beauty with a hill passenger railway commenced in

1878 with the building of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway line, when

Franklin Prestage of the then Eastern Bengal Railway initiated plans for

the building of a hill tramway along the alignment of the Hill Cart Road

from Siliguri to Darjeeling. Construction subsequently began, and in

1881 the line was commissioned up to Darjeeling.

The next project launched was of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in

South India, initially proposed in 1854. Work started in 1894, but the

railway was not completed until 1908, as the terrain was very difficult,

given the big difference in altitude ranging between 326 meters (1,070

ft) and 2,203 meters (7,228 ft) over a distance of 46 kilometers (29 mi).

The building of the 96 kilometers (60 mi) Kalka–Shimla railway link

commenced in 1898 to open up the remote hill regions to the rest of the

country and was inaugurated by the then Viceroy, Lord Curzon, in

November 1903. The Matheran–Neral 'toy train' was commissioned in

1907; Matheran is a hill station 108 kilometers (67 mi) away from

Mumbai. The Kangra line was built in 1929 in the picturesque Kangra

valley.

The UNESCO's 'World Heritage site' recognition to three of the

mountain railways of India has been for "outstanding examples of bold,

ingenious engineering solutions for the problem of establishing an

effective rail link through a rugged, mountainous terrain." The Darjeeling

Himalayan Railway got it first in 1999, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway

followed suit in 2005, and the Kalka–Shimla Railway, in 2008; the three

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together have been titled as 'Mountain Railways of India' under Criteria:

ii, iv under the region in the Asia-Pacific.

Nilgiri Mountain Railways:

The Indian Railways have five magnificent hill railways three of,

which are located on the Himalayan range. One is located on the

Western Ghats and the only metre gauge hill railway, which is also

perhaps the most unique from the technological angle, is located on the

Nilgiri Hills in South India. This railway is a wonderful example of

excellence in engineering achieved by the Indian Railway engineers at

a time when the engineering skills were rather primitive (Lohani, 1999).

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a single track, 46 kilometers (29 mi) long

metre gauge single line. Coonoor was initially the final hill station on the

line in June 1899 but this was extended up to Fernhill in September

1908 and up to Udagmandalam by October 15, 1908. It now connects

the town of Mettupalayam with the hill station of Udagamandalam

(Ootacamund), in the Nilgiri hills, popularly known as the 'Blue

Mountains' of Southern India. Both towns are in the state of Tamil Nadu.

The only rack railway in India, it uses the alternate biting system (Abt)

commonly termed as 'rack and pinion' rail system and is operated with

special steam locomotives. The trains that run on this line cover a

distance of 46 kilometers (29 mi), travel through 208 curves, 16 tunnels,

and 250 bridges. The uphill journey takes around 290 minutes (4.8

hours), and the downhill journey takes 215 minutes (3.6 hours). The

Nilgiri Mountain Railway was inscribed as World Heritage Site by

UNESCO in July 2005. The unique feature of this line, which is still fully

operational, is its oldest and the steepest ‗rack and pinion technology‘.

As it now operates, the line has a metre gauge section for 7.2

kilometers (4.5 mi) up to the foothill station of Kallar from where the rack

rail system begins and runs hugging the hills, passing through tunnels,

12 in number with the longest tunnel measuring 97 meters (318 ft), for

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7.2 kilometers (4.5 mi) up the hills at a gradient of 1:12.5 up to Coonoor.

Steam locomotives are used in this section. Beyond Coonoor, up to the

last station at Ooty or Oottacamund, the track has a ruling gradient

of 1:23.

North-East Railways:

This is sheer coincidence that the year 1999-2000 has been

declared as ―Visit India Year‖ and ―Passenger Year‖ by the Government

of India and Ministry of Railways respectively. As is expected, the

Government of India would channelize all its efforts to attract more and

more tourists, inland as well as overseas, to visit various places of

tourist interest in the country and the Indian Railways, being the prime

mode of reliable and economical transport, are bound to play the pivotal

role in making this occasion a grand success. By all reckoning, Visit

India Year is going to help the Indian Railways in a big way in achieving

its target for the Passenger Year 1999-2000. The area served by the

North Eastern Railway is replete with places of heritage value and

connects various important tourist centres like Varanasi, Sarnath,

Allahabad, Lucknow, Sravasti, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Ayodhya,

Maghar, Vaishali, Sonpur etc. Besides, NE Railway also takes the

tourists to the laps of natural beauty of Nainital, Ranikhet, Almora etc. to

make them feel the magic of landscape and the richness of its flora and

fauna. Aryans, this region boasts of the Mandla Fort – the capital of the

Gond Kings and Chanda Fort, both of which have survived the ravages

of time. About 64 kms., from the little township of Mandla is

Sahasradhara, where the river Narmada flows in a thousand steams.

Chanda Fort is now accessible on broad gauge after commissioning of

the Naghbir-Chanda Fort Broad Gauge Line (Pandey, 1999). The

Northeast Frontier Railway plans to preserve the 120 km-long Mahur–

Harangajao hill section while the metre-gauge track on the Lumding–

Silchar line gets converted into broad gauge. It has 37 tunnels, 586

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bridges and 24 stations on the way with the steepest gradient of 1 in 37

on the Harangajao–Jatinga section.

South-East Railways:

With a total route length of 7400 kms., and meandering through

six mineral states of West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,

Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra with diverse language, culture,

customs and traditions, South Eastern Railway epitomizes the true spirit

of India – bringing unity in diversity. It encompasses a magnificent

region, a veritable melting pot of fascinating cultures, history, folklores

and people. Talking about the place of tourist interest in South East

India, one cannot escape the majesty of the mountain ranges, the

beauty of its landscapes, the richness of the flora and fauna or the

picturesqueness of golden sea beaches that dot the map of South East

Railway. This is a land teeming with hoary traditions and ageless history

kept alive in carved stones, stuccoes and marbles. Ruins of ancient

cities, temples, forts, mosques of yore bear mute testimony to the

glorious history and rich cultural heritage of this region (Malhotra, 1999).

Eastern Railway:

Our country is the favourite playground of the God Almighty. It is

this land which has, perhaps the oldest history of civilization, the

glorious achievements of the mankind and natural beauties. The sheer

view of all these fill the heart with a fountain of joy. This is perhaps the

reason why our country has attracted many a celebrity from all over the

world from ancient times. We all nurse the intention of enjoying the

beauty to our heart‘s content. But the people in general do not have

either the means or the capabilities to travel to all those places on their

own. Indian Railways have laid its tracks connecting various corners of

the beautiful country to act as the bridge between such intention and

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capabilities. That is why the railway is not only a transport mode; it is

indeed everybody‘s companion (Indian Railways, Nov., 1999).

South-Central Railway:

The South Central Railway covers an extensive network

stretching across the Deccan Peninsula from Bay of Bengal in the east

of Arabian Sea on the west traversing through a region richly steeped in

tradition providing a many splendored panorama of history, art, religion

and culture. The network which traverses through the states of Andhra

Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa besides a small stretch of

Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu beckons tourists to encounter an

enlightened experience worth cherishing a life time, a passage through

a journey that never ends (Sinha, 1999).

Northern Railway:

The Northern Railway Zone of Indian Railways is the largest

amongst all the zones in size, covering as it does a route kilometer age

of 11,023.03 kms. It also covers the states of Jammu & Kashmir,

Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and the Union Territory of

Chandigarh along with significantly portions of Rajasthan and Uttar

Pradesh. The terrain that falls in Northern Railway is also varies from

the mountainous Shivalik range to the undulating deserts of Thar, the

lush Tarai region and the majestic Gangetic plains. The trains running

on Northern Railway also serve one of the most densely populated

regions of the country. In such a varied land, there are bound to be

several places of tourist interest. Some of the most popular holiday

resorts pilgrimage towns, historical places, modern cities, administrative

centres and seats of learning of the country fall within this Zone.

Northern Railway provides convenient train services to these

destinations for all class of travelers. Some of these destinations may

be reached directly by a train, while for others; the passengers may

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need to use road transport from the most conveniently located rail-head

(Mehta, 1999).

Kashmir Railway:

The Kashmir Railway is a railway line being built in India to

connect the state of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country.

Officially termed the 'Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Railway

Link' (JUSBRL), the railway starts from Jammu and, when completed,

will travel for 345 kilometres (214 mi) to the city of Baramulla on the

northwestern edge of the Kashmir Valley. The route crosses major

earthquake zones, and is subjected to extreme temperatures of cold

and heat, as well as inhospitable terrain, making it an extremely

challenging engineering project. The project has had a long and

chequered history but serious progress was made only after it was

declared a National Project in 2002. The scheduled date of completion

was August 15, 2007. However, several unforeseen complications have

pushed back the final completion deadline to 2017 at the earliest so a

through service from central India to Kashmir will not be possible.

Kangra Valley Railway:

No one could have thought of making a finer selection of territory

for building a new mountain railway in India than the Kangra Valley.

Few places can match this scenic region in the sub-Himalayas. Indeed,

for sheer charm, for the magnificence of its scenery, for the majesty of

its northern mountain barrier, for the beauty of its glens and grandeur of

its streams, this valley can compare with any in the world. You will

stumble across a land that has cast its magic spell upon those who

planned the railway, and those who built the line. The result is there for

all to see – an achievement that in every way makes one proud of the

fine record that the history of Indian Railways has always had (Shaili,

1999).

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The Kangra Valley Railway lies in the sub-Himalayan region and

covers a distance of 163 kilometers (101 mi) between Pathankot and

Joginder Nagar, a valley known for its natural beauty and ancient Hindu

shrines. The line, which is part of the Northern Railway and is made with a

2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge, was planned in May 1926 and commissioned

in 1929 and is popularly known as the ―Kangra Toy Train‖. The highest

point on this line is at Ahju station at an elevation of 1,291 meters

(4,236 ft) and the terminus at Joginder Nagar is at 1,189 meters (3,901

ft). The line has 971 uniquely designed bridges and two tunnels. Two

particularly important bridge structures are the steel arch bridge over

the Reond nalah and the girder bridge over the Banganga River. Though

the gradient of the line is generally gentle, the critical reach with steep

slopes is at the 142 kilometers (88 mi) stretch, which is of 210 meters

(690 ft) width with 1:19 slope with approach slopes of 1:31 and 1:25.

The terminus stretch between Baijnath and Jogindernagar is 1:25. The

train journey on this line provides beautiful views of peaks of the

Dhauladhar mountain range, particularly in the stretch between Kangra

and Mangwal, and also the ruins of the Kangra Fort.

Locomotives:

Locomotives in India consist of electric and diesel locomotives.

Steam locomotives are no longer used, except in heritage trains.

Locomotives are also called locos or engines. In India, locomotives are

classified according to their track gauge, motive power, the work they

are suited for and their power or model number. The class name

includes this information about the locomotive. It comprises 4 or 5

letters. The first letter denotes the track gauge. The second letter

denotes their motive power (Diesel or Electric) and the third letter

denotes the kind of traffic for which they are suited (goods, passenger,

mixed or shunting). The fourth letter used to denote locomotives'

chronological model number. However, from 2002 a new classification

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scheme has been adopted. Under this system, for newer diesel

locomotives, the fourth letter will devote their horsepower range. Electric

locomotives don't come under this scheme and even all diesel locos are

not covered. For them this letter denotes their model number as usual.

A locomotive may sometimes have a fifth letter in its name which

generally denotes a technical variant or subclass or subtype. This fifth

letter indicates some smaller variation in the basic model or series,

perhaps different motors, or a different manufacturer. With the new

scheme for classifying diesel locomotives (as mentioned above) the fifth

item is a letter that further refines the horsepower indication in 100 hp

increments: 'A' for 100 hp, 'B' for 200 hp, 'C' for 300 hp, etc. So in this

scheme, a WDM-3A refers to a 3100 hp loco, while a WDM-3F would be

a 3600 hp loco.

Steam Loco WP 7161 is going to be utilized for hauling of Steam

Special. Easily recognized by the cone shaped bulging nose with

(usually) a silver star painted on it, this locomotive became the standard

passenger locomotive on Indian Railways post 1947. Experiencing a

severe shortage of locomotive on the system in the mid 1940s coupled

with unhappy past experiences with the IRS class of locomotives

looming large, the order for 100 prototype WP was restricted to a mere

16 engines (on scale of two for each major broad gauge route). Baldwin

Locomotive Works (BLW), Philadelphia was awarded the task of

building the first sixteen prototype WP class locomotives. These were

numbered from 7200 to 7215 and went to GIPR, BB&CIR and EIR. The

initial locos were called WP/P, the extra P indicating prototype. These

engines soon earned the reputation for free steaming, fuel economy

and good riding characteristics, also there was none of the ‗tail wag‘

experience with these engines that was so characteristic of the XC

class. On establishing their success further orders for WP locomotives

went to Baldwin Canadian locomotive Company (CLC) and Montreal

Locomotive Works (MLW) who shared the manufacturing the next 300

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WP engines. These engines were numbered from 7216 to 7515 in order

of the Railway to which they were allotted. A further 120 engines were

ordered from Canadian Locomotive Company in 1955-56 and 60 more

engines came from Poland and Austria between 1957-59, this loco was

in production for 20 years from 1947 to 1967 from 53 locos in 1953, it

reached a peak holding of 167 locos on Northern Railways in 1967. This

Pacific class of broad gauge loco marked the change the coding from

‗X‘ to ‗W‘ for broad gauge locomotives. It was capable of doing up to

110 Km/h and remained Indian Railways crack locomotives for many

years and hauled prestigious express trains. WP‘s were designed

specifically for low-calorie, high-ash Indian coal and its ease of handling

made it a hot favourite amongst Loco drivers. Several WP‘s remained in

service until the late 80‘s. Early prototypes from Baldwin were labelled

WP/P, CLW versions after 1965 were labelled WP/1.

Rewari shed homes the WP 7200 and WP 7161, the former is

from the first lot of prototypes that were handed over to Indian Railways

by the United States in 1947. The locomotive was a part of Central

Railway System (GIPR) but was transferred to Northern Railway later.

Homed at Moradabad shed this locomotive was later shifted to

Saharanpur shed, before it retired from active service. It is believed that

WP 7200 was the first WP class of engine that was handed over to

Indian Railways in USA on 15th August 1947, India‘s Independent Day,

though the engine physically arrived on the Indian shores in Oct‘47.

This adds to the historic importance of this locomotive, with this in mind,

this locomotive previously called Shahjahan, after the great Mughal

emperor who build the Taj Mahal, has been re-christened ―AZAD‖,

meaning free in Hindi. WP 7161 is the Chittranjan Locomotive Works

built engine, inducted into active service in 1965, this locomotive was

also there was none of the ‗tail wag‘ experience with these engines that

was so characteristic of the XC class.

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On establishing their success further orders for WP locomotives

went to Baldwin Canadian Locomotive Company (CLC) and Montreal

Locomotive Works (MLW) who shared the manufacturing the next 300

WP engines. These engines were numbered from 7216 to 7515 in order

of the Railway to which they were allotted. A further 120 engines were

ordered from Canadian Locomotive Company in 1955-56 and 60 more

engines came from Poland and Austria between 1957-59, this loco was

in production for 20 years from 1947 to 1967 from 53 locos in 1953, it

reached a peak holding of 167 locos on Northern Railways in 1967. This

Pacific class of broad gauge loco marked the change the coding from

‗X‘ to ‗W‘ for broad gauge locomotives. It was capable of doing up to

110 Km/h and remained Indian Railways crack locomotives for many

years homed at Saharanpur shed and gave distinguished service to IR

before being phased out from active service. This Locomotive is

christened ―AKBAR‖, after the great Mughal Emperor.

Luxury Tourist Trains:

Ministry of Railways has taken several important initiatives to

promote tourism. These include introduction of new tourist train services

on popular tourist circuits in different regions of the country to offer one

week‘s fully packaged rail travel itinerary inclusive of travel,

accommodation, on board catering-on-board and conducted sightseeing

tours at the destinations. IRCTC tourism portal www.rail

tourismindia.com provides one-stop solutions to passengers‘ travel and

tourism requirements including tour packages, special trains, Bharat

Darshan, Cab Rentals, Hotel Bookings etc. ―Palace on Wheels‖,

―Duccan Odyssey‖, ―Golden Chariot‖, ―Royal Rajasthan on Wheels‖ and

―Maharajas‘ Express‖ have been operating in collaboration with the

respective State Tourism Development Corporation/Indian Railway

Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC).

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Palace on Wheel:

This luxury tourist rain is fully vestibule, centrally air-conditioned

and completely self-sufficient and comprises 14 saloons, 2 dining cars,

and Spa car and a lounge car. The saloons are named after the former

Rajput States and evoke visions of the royal kingdoms. Each saloon

has 4 coupes, done in colours characteristic of the State and highlighted

by the emblem of the erstwhile States. Of the four coupes, two each

feature double beds, the other two twin beds. A third bed for an

additional person or accompanying child is in the form of the fold-away

bed on a higher tier. Each compartment has an attached bath with

running hot/cold water and showers, built-in-wardrobes, overhead and

night lamps, piped music, reading light and wall-to-wall carpeting, etc.

At the end of each coach is a separate lounge where passengers can

relax when they wish to move out of their bedrooms. The Maharajah

and Maharani Restaurant offer seating arranged in groups of two and

four near the window. Chefs in the attached pantry prepare gourmet

continental and Indian specialties with emphasis on the cuisine of

Rajasthan. The train operates between August and April. The seven

night-eight day itinerary includes New Delhi-Jaipur-SawaiMadhopur-

Chittaurgarh-Udaipur-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Bharatpur-Agra-New Delhi.

The Royal Orient:

Pack your bags for a magical journey through two of India‘s most

culturally and historically vibrant states – Gujarat and Rajasthan. The

Royal Orient is one of the few extravaganzas left of an epoch of

grandeur. Enjoy yourself in the luxury of this fascinating train, a

spectacular concept in transport, an aesthetic marvel of modern times.

Gold embossed saloon cars recreate the resplendent living of the times

of yore. We leave the days free for you to explore fascinating

destinations, while you go to sleep with the movements of the train,

journeying through the night. The Royal Orient began its journey from

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Delhi Cantonment every Wednesday from September to April. During

1999-2000 to 2003-04, there were 40 trips of trains with 882 travelers.

The Fairy Queen:

Fairy Queen comes out of the Treasure Chest of the Indian

Railways, Built in the year 1855, this 145 years old loco is the oldest

working steam locomotive in the world. The Fairy Queen takes tourists

on an unforgettable two day weekend trip from Delhi to Alwar on

selected days. Fair Queen provides first class accommodation to sixty

passengers. The two-day package includes a night stay at Sariska

Palace Hotel (near Alwar) on twin sharing basis from where the tourists

are taken around the Tiger Sanctuary the next morning. And yes, the

night at Sariska is full of entertainment, theme dinner with ethnic artistes

performing.

The Deccan Odyssey:

The tourist train leads to journey through Kaleidoscopic land of

fantastic and diverse images from pristine beaches to defiant forts, from

black monolithic rock to opulent palaces dedicated to kings and from

north to south, Indian Railway provides a package of 8 days tour

through this train. The tourists may board the train in the evening at

Chhatrapati terminus, undoubtedly one of the famous Gothic buildings

and an integral part of Mumbai‘s skyline, wine and dine in the luxurious

comforts of this train and whistle off on royal voyage. Alight in the

morning at the Ukashi station, nested amidst majestic mountains and

scenic backwaters, tourist may ride in a luxury bus to Rai Jetty,

historical Jaigard Fort, view of Konkan village life, Ganapatipule,

Ratnagiri, the land of world famous Alphouso mangoes, and birth place

of Lokmanaya Tilak, and the interment home of for the last king of

Burma, King Thibaw. From temples, forts, and virgin beaches, the train

whistles off so yet another beautiful destination feasting over a royal

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spread served on board. Next day, the train changes in to the tip of the

Konkan coast, Sindhudurg Nagari station. A luxury bus transfers tourists

to Malvan Jetty from the station. Little in a comfortable boat, arranged

for tourists for enjoy the mesmerizing view of flora, birds and caressing

waves on the ride to Sindhudurg Fort, breathtaking view of the vast

open sea, confluence of river Kanali and Arabian sea, with silver soft

sands and pristine clear waters, Kalse Jetty, craft villages etc. As the

train pulls into Goa tourists get ready to explore an exotic destination

frequented by tourists from all corners of the globe. Brilliant lush green

fields, surrounding village and hamlets, white washed churches

standing out of giant occasional empty patches of starting red soil, train

reaches to Goa, the land of India‘s finest golden sand beaches, jungle

clad hills, imposing ancient churches and elegant mansions, splashed

with colour of bougainvillea. Next morning, the royal train pulls into

Pune, the erstwhile capital of Marathas and cultural capital of the state.

Tourists may enjoy in old central market Raja Kalkar Museum, Iyenfer

Yoga Institute, Taj Blue Diamond Hotel, Rajnish Ashram, Osho Ashram,

lushly landscape, Tribal Museum, Agha Khan Palace, Shaniwarwada

Palace etc. Next morning, travelling along the rolling the rolling hills and

picturesque ruins of the past, the tourists may travel way back in time to

Aurangaba. The luxury takes tourists to the majestic fortress of

Daultabad, world famous Elora caves, Buddhists Vihars, Kailashnath

Temples, Aurangabad Caves, Bibi Ka Makbara and Mughal architecture

on the Deccan Plateau. Alight and Jalgoan railway station after a royal

breakfast, tourists may travel to T. Junction in a luxury Bus, and visit

Ajanta Caves, view of bustling township, Gangapur Dam, etc. The

tourists enjoy the breakfast on board as the Sun rises over the

commercial capital of India. Alight at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in

the morning enriched with the rich legacy of this land, the journey by

royal Odyssey completes.

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Kalka-Shimla:

The former ‗Summer Capital‘ of the Raj, Shimla, is an important

destination for holiday-makers. Come summer or snow, tourist‘s rush to

Shimla either to beat the heat or to catch snowflakes drifting down. Four

premium services for travelers on the Kalka-Shimla section are

available: the Deluxe Rail Motor Car, the Shivalik Deluxe Express, the

Shivalik Palace (Tourist Coach) and the Shivalik Queen Tourist Coach.

The Deluxe Railway Motor Car is a visual delight as it resembles a bus

of the Second World War Vintage. Carrying 14 passengers at a time, it

reaches its destination in 4.25 hrs. The car is fitted with a transport fibre

glass roof, for a clear view of the sky and if one is lucky, one can look

up at the rain or snow without getting soaked. Digital time-cum-

temperature display unit, altimeter and route indication board gives

valuable information while travelling. The Shivalik Deluxe Express is a

connecting service to Howrah-Kalka Mail for Shimla. It accommodates

120 passengers and reaches it destination in 4.45 hrs. The coaches are

equipped with wall-to-wall carpeting, wide glass windows and reversible

cushioned chairs. Improved lighting and a music system create a

pleasant atmosphere. The fare for both Deluxe Rail Motor Car and

Shivalik Deluxe Express is Rs. 340/- with a complimentary meal at the

picturesque Railway Station Barog. The Shivalik Palace Tourist Coach

provides a luxurious ambience for a dream holiday. It can accommodate

a party of six persons and is equipped with folding cushioned bed,

refrigerator, on-board-kitchen and dining table with cushioned chairs.

Booked for a tariff of Rs. 4,850/- in the up and Rs. 3,375/- in the down

direction, fare includes complimentary accommodation of two luxurious

retiring rooms at Shimla for the day and free meals en-route. A

comparatively late entrant on the Kalka Shimla section is the Shivalik

Queen, which is a luxury coach. It is divided into two portions consisting

of two coupes each. The fare charged is Rs. 750/- per coupe. The

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coach is equipped with ultramodern facilities and fittings like wall to wall

carpets, altimeter, fancy lights, chrome plated luggage rack.

Shimla, the modern capital city of Himachal Pradesh, is located at

7,234 feet (2,205 m), in the foothills of the Himalayas. It was the

summer capital of British India in 1864 and it was also the headquarters

of the British Army in India. Kalka is a town in the Panchkula district of

Haryana. Prior to construction of the railway communication, connection

with the outside world was via a village cartway. The railway line was

constructed by the Delhi–Ambala–Kalka Railway Company

commencing in 1898 in the Siwalik Hills ranges. However, several plans

with alternative routes were surveyed between 1884 and 1898, and the

contract to build this line was finally awarded to Delhi–Ambala–Kalka

Railway Company. The 95.66 kilometers (59.44 mi) long, 2 ft 6 in (762

mm) narrow gauge line was opened for traffic on November 9, 1903.

The line has 103 tunnels and 864 bridges (multi-arched gallery

type, like the Roman aqueducts), except for one bridge of 18.29 meters

(60.0 ft) length with plate girder span and steel truss. The ruling gradient

is 1:33 or 3 per cent, with 919 curves, the sharpest being 48 degrees (a

radius of 37.47 meters (122.9 ft) and climbs from 656 meters (2,152 ft)

and terminates at an elevation of 2,076 meters (6,811 ft) at Shimla. The

Barog Tunnel (No. 33) is the longest tunnel on the line at 1,144 meters

(3,753 ft) in length between Dagshai and Solan (270 meters (890 ft)

below the road) and is named after the engineer who had commenced

digging the tunnel from both sides of the mountain but could not

complete it and hence committed suicide (he was buried near the site of

the tunnel). His Indian counterpart, known by the name Bhalku, who

helped H. S. Harrington to build another tunnel about 1 kilometer (0.62

mi) away from the abandoned tunnel, was honoured with a medal and

turban as an appreciation for his contribution to building tunnels, by the

then Viceroy of India. The route from Kalka to Shimla involves journey

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through the Koti tunnel 3.2 kilometers (2.0 mi) long, the Dharampur

main station, 32 kilometers (20 mi) from Kalka, three loops at Taksal,

Gumman and Dharampur to attain flatter gradients, Taradevi, Prospect

Hill to Jatogh, Inverarm to the terminus at old Dovedell chambers at

Shimla. Other important stations on this route, distance wise from Kalka

include Dagshai – 38.4 kilometers (23.9 mi), at an elevation of 1,600

meters (5,200 ft) – and Solan. Special luxury trains called the Shivalik

Express and Shivalik Palace Saloon operate during the summer months

to cater for heavy traffic from tourism, apart from several passenger and

cargo (potato, in particular) trains, in addition to catering to the

requirements of the armed services.

Matheran Hill Railway:

A hill resort at an altitude of 800 meters (average height of 2500

feet above sea level), Matheran is 110 km. away from Mumbai on

Mumbai-Pune rail route. A narrow gauge toy train from Nerai (87 km.

from Mumbai) meanders up the mountain, treating the tourists to a

breathtaking view. Mr. Hugh Poyntz Malet, the then Collector of Thane

discovered Matheran (meaning ―forest on the top‖) in May 1850. Lord

Elphinstone, the then Governor of Mumbai laid the foundations of the

future development of Matheran as a hill station. This 2-foot narrow

gauge hill railway, connecting Neral was opened to traffic in 1907. This

hill railway was built by Sir Adamjee Peerboy, who formed a limited

company with an authorized capital of ten lakh rupees divided into 2000

shares. The railway is 20 km. (12.6 miles) long and has a gauge of two

feet with a ruling gradient of 1 in 20. The track zig zags up the side of

the hill, bringing into view the full beauty of the Matheran Hill. There are

four pairs of trains running between Neral and Matheran. Howeever,

during monsoon i.e. June to September, only one pair of train is run to

open timings.

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Matheran Hill Railway, a heritage railway in Maharashtra, was

built between 1901 and 1907 by Abdul Hussein Adamjee Peerbhoy and

was financed by his father, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of the Adamjee

Group. The railway line, a 610mm (2 ft) gauge line, covers a distance of

20 kilometers (12 mi), over large swathes of forest territory connecting

Neral to Matheran in the Western Ghats hills near Karjat and Mumbai.

The plan, formulated in 1900, began construction in 1904 and the line

was opened to traffic by 1907. Originally, the tracks were laid with 30

lb/yard rails but now use heavier 42 lb/yard rails. Ruling gradient is 1:20

(5 per cent) with tight curves and speeds are limited to 20 kilometres

per hour (12 mph). The line, which generally used to be closed during

the monsoons because of the danger of landslides, has, since the

1980s, been kept operational throughout the year. This railway line is

administered by the Central Railways.

The unique feature of this line is the horseshoe embankment,

which was built to avoid a reversion station, seen when the train curves

markedly. Important stations and special features include this, the initial

Neral Station, the Herdal Hill section, the Bhekra Khud steep gradient,

the only tunnel on the route, popularly known as the "One Kiss Tunnel"

(time to pass through this is just sufficient to exchange a kiss with one's

partner), a "Water Pipe" station (no longer in use due to change over to

diesel locos), Mountain Berry with two sharp 'Zig Zags', Panorama Point

and finally terminating at Matheran Bazaar. The Broad gauge line

between Mumbai and Poona runs close to this line and the road also

crosses the railway line at two locations.

Royal Rajasthan on Wheels:

After successfully running Palace on Wheels for more than two

and a half decades, the Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan

Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. launched a new train ―Royal

Rajasthan on Wheels‖ with added facilities compared to Palace on

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Wheels which itself is the bench mark in its segment, on the itinerary of

Delhi, Udaipur, Chittaurgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Jaipur, Khajuraho,

Varanasi and Agra.

The Golden Chariot:

The lands once ridden by formidable armies are now traversed by

the world‘s unique luxury train. The Golden Chariot beckons you to

discover worlds that are enriched with history and culture. Recline and

relax as the magnificent scenery unfolds outside your window with

luxury on the inside, thus far reserved for royalty. We present the

Golden Chariot - a fine balance between a glorious yesterday and on

omnipresent tomorrow in a magical land, Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu,

Kerala and Puducherry on the following itineraries: 1-Bangalore,

Mysore, Hassan, Hospet, Badami, Goa, Bangalore, 2-Bangalore,

Chennai, Puducherry, Tanjavur, Madurai, Nagercoil, 3-Trivandrum,

Ernakulam, Bangalore.

Maharajas’ Express:

An Experience Extraordinaire - The Maharajas‘ Express is a

Luxury Offering from Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation

Ltd., New Delhi. A design marvel, the train offers several unique

features from having most spacious cabins to having personal valets

attached to each cabin to take care of the guests. State of the art

facilities like live TV, Wi-Fi internet, individual temperature control in

each cabin, environment friendly toilet systems, CCTV cameras in

public areas to ensure security, direct dialing telephones to make

international calls, make the experience all the more enjoyable. With

hair dryers, electronic safe deposit boxes in each room, bath tubs and

mini bars (in suites and presidential suite), the train offers almost

everything that one would imagine to travel in luxury. Savoring the

culinary delights, sitting in either of the two restaurants - Mayur Mahal

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and Rang Mahal, one can have a glimpse of the picturesque hinterland

from the large windows specially created for the Maharajas‘ Express.

The guests can relax in the Safari Bar or the Rajah Club and choose

from our selection of choicest wines and liquors. With 4 categories of

accommodation to choose from, guests can select the cabin they would

wish to spend their sojourn - all with en suite facilities. The train can

accommodate 88 guests. There are 14 guest carriages featuring 43

cabins in total, which include 20 Deluxe Cabins, 18 Junior Suites, 4

Suites and one truly classical Presidential Suite. A lifetime experience,

the journey on Maharajas‘ Express brings one closer to bygone era of

imperial India.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway:

The most famous of the hill trains, links the town of New

Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling. The breathtaking landscape of Darjeeling (2127

m. above the sea level) must be seen to be believed - the Himalayas in

all their glory, orchids swaying in the gentle breeze, lush green tea

estates. The toy train runs on the world‘s narrowest (2 ft) of the regular

narrow gauge lines. Conferred with the status of World Heritage Site,

the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) is really a tourist‘s delight.

Enjoy Steam Train Charter from any station to any station on DHR.

DHR offers charter trips on demand. The dates for operation of

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in Financial Year 2011-12 will be notified

depending on the availability of the Loco. All steam charters are

charged at Rs. 20,000/-. Booking a Steam- Charter is very easy now.

DHR also offers special Joy Rides between Darjeeling and Ghum, extra

pair of trains to / from New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling and Jungle

(Heritage) Safari during the tourist season.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), given the epithet, the

"Toy Train", is a 610 mm (2 ft) narrow–gauge railway that runs for 88

kilometers (55 mi) from Siliguri to Darjeeling in the Indian state of West

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Bengal, operated by the Indian Railways. Highly regarded in India to

this day, the railway line was built by the British Government. Darjeeling

was a major summer hill station and the centre of a flourishing tea-

growing district. The elevation level along this line starting with about

100 meters (330 ft) at Siliguri rose to about 2,200 meters (7,200 ft) at

Darjeeling but attained highest elevation at Ghoom station of 2,300

meters (7,500 ft). The Siliguri town was connected with Calcutta (now

called Kolkata) in 1878 while an alternative journey to Darjeeling used

to be performed by tongas (horse-driven carts) along a dust track. On

the recommendations of a Committee appointed by Sir Ashley Eden,

the then Lt. Governor of the Government of West Bengal, and the

request of Franklyn Prestage, the Agent of the Eastern Bengal Railway

Company, work on the railway commenced in 1879 and was completed

by July 1881.[8][10] The railway line underwent several improvements

over the years to ease the gradient of the line for convenience of

manoeuvrability. By 1909–1910, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was

carrying 174,000 passengers and 47,000 tonnnes of goods annually.

Important features incorporated in the line consisted of four loops

(spirals) and four reverses (zigzags). The introduction of the first bogie

carriages service replaced the very basic four wheel carriages and

extensive improvements were made to the track and stations after the

earthquake of 1897 and underwent further modernization under the

Northeast Frontier Railway Zone of Indian Railway. It is still powered by

a steam engine, although a modern diesel engine is used for the

Darjeeling Mail train. In 1999, this mountain line in India was the first to

be recognized by the UNESCO Committee at its 23rd session held at

Marrakech, Morocco. It was then inscribed on the World Heritage List

under the following criteria (ii) and (iv). An assurance recorded was that

apart that from creating a buffer zone under the declared heritage site,

the steam trains would be retained within the site.

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Criterion (ii): The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is an outstanding

example of the influence of an innovative transportation system on the

social and economic development of a multi-cultural region, which was

to serve as a model for similar developments in many parts of the world.

Criterion (iv): The development of railways in the 19th century has a

profound influence on social and economic developments in many parts

of the world. This process is illustrated in an exceptional and seminal

fashion by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The initial difficulties

faced by the British engineer in charge of building this line from both

ends of the tunnel was due to erosion in the precipitous hillside and

negotiating a gradient within the limits of rail transport. It was then a

remark by the engineer‘s wife who suggested, ―Darling if you can‘t go

ahead, why you don‘t come back?‖ that created the inventive plan of

climbing mountains adopting ‗Z‘ reversing stations. In this plan, the train

chugs forward up to the edge of the rock face, then reverses at a

slanted angle up the hillside, again moves forward to a higher level

above the original track. This helps to negotiate above the zone of land

erosion. This layout of the extended line came to be popularly known as

the ‗Z‘ form. In the initial 40 years, there were four reversing stations

and four complete loops. Another 'Z' reversing station was added much

later to ease the gradient. Another feature along this line is the pithy

signages located at key vantage points along the route which proclaim

to the passengers travelling by the train, and creates excitement to

explore the locations, such as the ‗Agony Point‘, the 'Sensation Corner'

and so forth. The loop points or spirals constructed on precipitous hills

are also view points, which provide spectacular views of the valley down

below.

Mettupalaiyam-Ooty:

It was in 1854, that the first plans were made to build a mountain

Railway from Mettupalaiyam to the Nilgiri Hills. But it took the decision-

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makers 45 years to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and complete

the construction and installation of the line. The line was completed and

opened for traffic in June 1899. It was operated first by the Madras

Railway under an agreement with the Government. The Madras

Railway Company continued to manage this railway line on behalf of the

government for a long time until the South Indian Railway Company

purchased it. The line was extended to Ootacamund from Coonoor

sometime in 1908 on the same gauge over a distance of 11 and ¾

miles at a cost of Rs. 24, 40,000. The steepest gradient on the line is 1

in 23 and there is no rack on it as provided between Coonoor and

Mettupalaiyam. The Raiwlay line from Mettupalaiyam to Ooty is 45.88

km. long and lies partly in Coimbatore District and partly in Nilgiri District

of Tamil Nadu, on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.

Mettupalaiyam is at the foothills with an elevation of about 330 metres

and Udagamandalam (Ooty) on the plateau with an elevation of 2200

metres. The average gradient of this line is about 1 in 24.5. The gauge

is laid to Metre gauge (1000 mm). The sharpest curve on the section is

17.5 degrees. The track is made of 50 lb rails. There re 250 bridges on

the section, out of which 32 are major ones and 15 are road

ovder/under bridges. There are 16 tunnels between Kallar and Ooty all

of which are in an excellent condition. The section from Mettupalaiyam

to Udagamandalam is provided with stone ballast and the cushion

varies from 75 mm to 150 mm. The maximum permissible speed on

Mettupalaiyam-Kallar and Conoor-Udagamandalam ―Non-Rak‖ system

is 30 while between Kallar and Coonoor ―RACK‖ section the maximum

permissible speed is 13 kmph. The region covered by the Nilgiri

Mountain Railway gets rainfall during the south-west and north-east

monsoons. The average rainfall is of the order of 1250 mm of

Udagamandalam, 1400 mm at Coonoor and 500 mm at Mettupalaiyam.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway keeps chugging despite the downpour.

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Tourist Trains:

The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by

the Indian Railways to promote tourism in Rajasthan, and has been

highly popular since its launch. The train service was refurbished and

relaunched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and cuisine.[1]

The concept of the Palace on Wheels was derived from the royal

background of the coaches, which were originally meant to be the

personal railway coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of

Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British

India. Each coach has four cabins (named chambers or saloons by the

company) with twin beds,[2] wall-to-wall carpeting, air-conditioning, DTH

satellite television,[3] channel music, intercom, attached toilets, running

hot and cold water, with personal attendants.

The Maharaja Express is a luxury train owned by the Indian

Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and operated from

early 2010. The train used to be a joint venture between Indian Railway

Catering and Tourism Corporation but after the verdict of the High Court

and Supreme Court of India the train now belong exclusively to the

IRCTC. The IRCTC are the owners of the Maharajas Express Train.

The reintroduced Maharaja Express train offers 5 itineraries, all of which

either begin or end in Delhi and include a visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Each morning, the train arrives at a different station for off-rail

excursions, including visits to monuments, heritage sites, shopping,

palaces, forts, and hotels. New itineraries announced by the operators

of Maharajas Express include 3 pan-Indian journeys and 2 golden

triangle tour itineraries covering Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. The Maharaja

Express is the most expensive luxury train in India. It was named to the

2011 list of World's Top 25 Trains by The Society of International

Railway Travelers and was praised for its onboard accommodation and

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dining facilities, service, and off-train excursion program after its review

in the Fall of 2010.

The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is a luxury tourist train run by

Indian Railways. It is modelled on the Palace on Wheels, and follows a

similar route through Rajasthan. Tourists are taken to several important

tourist, wildlife and heritage sites across Rajasthan. The train was

launched in January 2009 following the success of the Palace on

Wheels, another luxury train that travels through Rajasthan. Some of

the tourist attractions covered are the Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds),

Moti Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Ranthambhor National Park, Chittaurgarh

Fort, Jag Niwas (Lake Palace), Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Agra

Fort and finally the Taj Mahal.

The Golden Chariot is a luxury tourist train that connects the

important tourist spots in the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa. It is

named after the Stone Chariot in the Vitthala Temple at Hampi. The 19

coaches on the train are coloured purple and gold, and sport the logo of

a mythological animal with the head of an elephant and a body of a lion.

The Golden Chariot operates weekly and had its maiden commercial

run on March 10, 2008. The train, along with the Deccan Odyssey, is

designed on the lines of the more popular Palace on Wheels with

accommodations, spa treatments and dining. The train is operated by

the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and marketed

by The Luxury Trains, whereas The Mapple Group handles the

hospitality services on the train. The Golden Chariot offers

accommodation in 44 cabins in 11 coaches that are named after

dynasties that ruled the region: Kadamba, Hoysala, Rashtrakuta,

Ganga, Chalukya, Bahamani, Adil Shahi, Sangama, Satavahana,

Yadukula and Vijayanagar. It also has two restaurants, a lounge bar,

and conference, gym and spa facilities. It is the only train in India to

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have onboard Wi-Fi connectivity, and satellite antennae providing live

television service in the cabins.

High Speed Trains:

The Duronto Express is a category of long distance trains run by

the Indian Railways. The special feature of these trains is that they run

non-stop from source to destination, barring technical halts. All Duronto

Express trains can be easily recognized by the characteristic yellow-

green livery of their passenger coaches. Several Duronto Express

services connect the metros and major state capitals of India. The

Duronto Express trains are projected to be the fastest trains between

the particular pair of cities they serve, although this is not necessarily

true for all services. The Duronto Expresses are one of the fastest trains

in India. These trains run faster than Rajdhani Express trains which hold

the record of the fastest long-distance trains in India. This has been

made possible as these trains, unlike the Rajdhani Express, will have

no intermediate stoppages and run in much the same speed clocked by

Rajdhani. For example, the new bi-weekly non-stop train between New

Delhi and Sealdah will take 16 hours to cover the journey, as against 17

hours taken by Rajdhani Express. The trains will, however, have

technical stoppages at a few stations for facilitating staff and loco

change but the transit time will come down drastically. The trains will

adhere to the speed limit of 110 km/h {non- stop}. The Chennai and

Pune Duronto run at a speed of 130 km/h.

The Rajdhani Express is a passenger train service in India

connecting New Delhi with other important destinations, especially state

capitals. Rajdhani means "The Capital" in Hindi and other Indian

Languages. Rajdhani Express was introduced in 1969, for providing fast

connections (up to 140 km/h/87 mph, speed varies depending upon the

particular track section) from various railway stations in the capital city

of New Delhi to the capital cities of various states in India (or, in certain

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cases, prominent cities within the state the train serves). The first

Rajdhani Express left New Delhi station for Howrah station to cover a

distance of 1,445 km in 16 hours 55mins. These trains get the highest

priority on the Indian railway network. They are fully air-conditioned.

Passengers are served complimentary meals during the journey.

Depending on the duration and timings of the journey, these could

include lunch, high tea, dinner, morning tea and breakfast. Almost all

Rajdhani trains offer three classes of accommodation: First Class AC

with 2- or 4-berth lockable bedrooms, AC 2-tier with open berths (bays

of 4 berths + 2 berths on the other side of the corridor) with curtains for

privacy, and AC 3-tier (bays of 6 berths + 2 berths on the side) with

curtains for privacy.

The Shatabdi Express trains are a series of fast (called superfast

in India) passenger trains operated by Indian Railways to connect Metro

cities with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business.

Shatabdi Express is day-trains and they return to the station of origin

the same day. The word "Shatabdi" means centenary in Sanskrit, Hindi

and several Indian languages. The first Shatabdi train was started in

1988 to commemorate the centenary of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru's

Birthday (the First Prime Minister of India) by Madhav Rao Scindia,

minister for railways. It operated from New Delhi to Jhansi, later

extended to Bhopal. It is now known as the Bhopal Shatabdi Express.

The Bhopal Shatabdi is the fastest train in India and it runs at an

average speed of around 93.05 km/h (57.82 mph) between the origin

and the destination though it runs at speeds at 160 km/h (99 mph) on

some stretches between Agra and New Delhi stations. These trains are

now using latest L.H.B. Rakes to provide extra comfort in the train. The

Lucknow - Delhi Shatabdi has a recorded speed of 145 km/h (90 mph)

although it lingers in the neighborhood of 130 km/h (81 mph) for most of

the cruising distance.

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Preserving Railway’s Heritage:

Indian Railways has a glorious history spanning over 150 years.

To bring alive the romance of train journey and to serve as the

repository of India‘s railway history, Rail Museum have been set up in

many regions to showcase Indian Railway‘s rich heritage. National Rail

Museum, houses an interesting collection of history, heritage, romance

and nostalgia of India‘s rail heritage through its life size exhibits in the

open area ranging from 1855 vintage Fairy Queen to Royal Saloons,

Patiala State Monorail Trainways, antique benches, clocks etc., and the

indoor gallery with static and working models, signalling equipment,

block instruments, tracks, track fittings, historical texts and photographs.

The Rail Archives unfolds the evolution and expansion of the Railways

in India. A large Auditorium in the museum complex provides facilities.

Fairy Queen, the world’s oldest steam loco in operation for holding

conferences, film projections and stage shows and is also open for

bookings on hire. Encouraged by its success, Indian Railways is now

setting up Rail Museums in each region of the country. Three such rail

museums are located at Chennai, Nagpur and Kolkata. Also, there are

mini Rail Museums at Mysore and Ghum.

The Museum is equipped with multi-media kiosks, joy-

train/monorail train rides, rafting/boating, island cafeteria and special

facilities for the physically handicapped. A special section ‗Aakanksha‘

has been started for the visually impaired visitors with miniature models

of a steam and a diesel loco and a brief history of the evolution of IR

written in Braille script. The Souvenir Shop at the Museum has a good

collection of attractive souvenir items like books, key-chains, glass

ware, T-shirts, tie etc. The Museum attracts on an average 1000 visitors

a day. A state-of-the-art Rail Auditorium with a capacity of 194 seats

provide facilities for holding conferences, film projections and stage

shows and is open for bookings on hire.

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The Indian Railway is also taking initiatives on heritage railway

projects such as the Fairy Queen, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway,

Mumbai C.S.T. Building (earlier Bombay V.T.), Nilgiri Mountain Railway

etc. dating over 100 years back. Considering the heritage value of

various structures, bridges, rolling stock, plant and machinery,

documents, etc. and to preserve and maintain heritage on various Zonal

Railways, an apex committee known as Heritage Committee has been

formed under the Chairmanship of the Secretary, Railway Board. The

Zonal Railways are expected to form a small core group for

preservation and maintenance of the identified structures etc. which are

of heritage value. Besides the National Rail Museum at New Delhi, IR

has Regional Rail Museums at Nagpur, Chennai and Kolkata and mini

museums at Mysore, Sukna and Ghum (near Darjeeling). A ―Heritage

Cell‖ has been established in Railway Board, headed by the Executive

Director (Heritage) to look after all aspects of the heritage of Indian

Railway .

There are three World Heritage sites on IR. These include

i) Mumbai CST: In recognition to the architectural value, Mumbai CST

building has been inscribed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO,

ii) Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, iii) Nilgiri Mountain Railway has been

inscribed World Heritage under the Mountain Railway series. Indian

Railway has a long history and a rich heritage. In order to showcase its

colourful past, the National Rail Museum was set up at New Delhi in

1977. The Museum houses many display galleries and has a large open

display yard. The display area has a rich collection of real-life exhibits

showing vintage steam, diesel and electric locomotives, coaches,

saloons, wagons and cranes dating as far back as 1855. The collection

includes the beautiful ‗Fairy Queen‘ steam locomotive of 1855 (entered

in the ‗Guinness Book of World Records‘ as the oldest steam

locomotive still in working order), steam locomotive ‗Ramgotty‘ of 1862,

priceless saloons of royalty, the unique ‗Patiala State Monorail Train‘ of

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1907, a ‗Fireless Locomotive‘ and the ‗Morris Fire Engine‘ of 1914. The

air-conditioned indoor gallery has a vast collection of working and

stationary models, miniature train systems and railway equipment of

historical importance. The Rail Archives of the Museum has a vast

collection of documents on Railways, some of which are as old as 150

years. The video library with a range of exciting films is also widely

appreciated.

National Rail Museum is a museum in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

which focuses on the rail heritage of India it opened on the 1 February

1977. It is located in over 10 acres (40,000 m2) of land with both indoor

and outdoor exhibits. A toy train offers rides around that site on regular

days.

The Railway Museum was established in 1979 by Indian

Railways, the second such museum after the National Railway Museum

in Delhi. The museum is opposite the Central Food Technology and

Research Institute on Krishnaraja Sagar Road. It has locomotives and a

gallery of photographs and paintings depicting the growth of railways in

India. Railway signals and lights are also displayed. The museum has a

battery-operated mini-train giving a short ride for children on the

grounds. This museum is located near the Mysore Railway station and

is the second one of its kind established in India after the one at Delhi.

This museum exhibits ancient locomotives and carriages some of which

are still in working condition. Photographs and books related to railway

are also present. A striking feature of the museum is the Chamundi

Gallery that showcases a distinctive and interesting collection of

photographs and paintings portraying the growth of the railways.

Another unique feature of the museum is the Sri Ranga Pavilion

that houses two royal coaches. These coaches belonged to the

Maharaja of Mysore and give you an idea about the grand fashion in

which the royalty traveled. Another interesting exhibit in the Rail

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Museum is the Maharani's saloon carriage that has a kitchen, dining car

unit and royal toilet dating back to 1899. Most of the exhibits in the

museum were once housed in Mysore Palace. The first steam engine

that was built is exhibited here and has been preserved very well.

Among the other things exhibited here are steam engines, signals etc.

The museum also has a battery-operated mini-train that takes you on a

ride around the grounds of the museum. This toy train is the main

attraction for small children.

Patiala State Monorail Trainways: This unique steam monorail

was built in 1907. This unusual train is based on the "Ewing System",

and connected Bassi with Sirhind (approximate 6 miles). This was

designed by Col. Bowles. The unique train system consists of a track of

single rail. This mono track, the load-carrying wheel is run while one big

iron wheel at other side to balance it and to keep the train upright. This

train as built by Orenstein & Koppel of Berlin. This train ran till October

1927. In 1927 the line was closed with advent of better and faster

modes of transportation such as cars and buses. Somehow, an engine

and Chief Engineer's inspection car escaped being sold as scrap and

remained in railway's scrap yard. In 1962, the remains of Patiala State

Monorail Trainways were discovered by a railroad historian Mr. Mike

Satow. Thereafter, one engine was restored to full working order by the

Northern Railway Workshops at Amritsar. They also reconstructed the

Chief Engineer's private inspection car on an old under frame. The two

are now in running condition after being restored and are on display at

National Rail Museum, New Delhi. Fairy Queen, the world's oldest

working steam locomotive in operational service.

Fire Engine: Morris Fire Engine was built by the famous fire

engineers M/s. John Morris and Sons Ltd of Salford, Manchester in

1914. Only two Morris-Belsize fire-engines are known to exist in world

today. Apart from the one with National Rail Museum, New Delhi, a

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1912 model is preserved by the Enfield and District Veteran Vehicle.

The fire engine preserved at the Enfield and District Veteran Vehicle,

White ebbs Museum of Transport, Clay Hill, London, has been

converted to use pneumatic tyres by Dennis Bros. Thus, the fire engine

at National Rail Museum is the only one left in the world running on

solid rubber tyres.

Saloon of Prince of Wales: this saloon was built for Prince of

Wales (later King Edward VII) for his visit to India.

Saloon of Maharaja of Indore: This is saloon of Holkar

Maharaja of Indore.

Saloon of Maharaja of Mysore: This is personal saloon of

Maharaja of Mysore. The saloon is designed using teak, gold, ivory, etc.

Electric Locomotive Sir Leslie Wilson: This WCG-1 locomotive

belonged to the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (presently Central

Railway). It is one of India's first generation electric locomotives.

Railway employees fondly remember this locomotives as "khekdas"

(crabs) since they make a curious moaning sound when at rest and

while on the run an unusual swishing sound from the link motion can be

heard. Its unusual features included an articulated body, which made

them ideal for use in heavily curved ghat sections. They were in

operation as shunting locomotives until 1994 at Mumbai Chhatrapati

Shivaji Terminus.

Electric Locomotive Sir Roger Lumley: This WCP-1 engine

has wheel arrangements which are not seen these days. The locos

were supplied from the Vulcan Foundry, UK in 1930. It was an electric

locomotive which operated under 1500 Volts Direct Traction. It is

famous for hauling the Mumbai—Pune Deccan Queen Express in the

early years when it was launched. A prototype of this locomotive has

been placed at the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai for public viewing.

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Indian Railways offers a wide range of tourist products and

services which include special trains, tourist trains, rail museums, steam

locomotives, mountain rails, north-east frontier rails, romancing trains,

Fairy Queen, Palace on Wheels, Mahaparinivaran Express, Maharaja

Express, etc. Besides Indian Railways has initiated two packages to

Indian and foreign tourists, and is providing transport, accommodation,

cab, catering and other hospitality services to the train passengers and

tourists. There is wide scope of developing rail tourism in near future as

Government of India is planning to enhance investment on tourism

promotion through Indian Railways.