# Express Action in India



## jis (Mar 22, 2016)

Every night between 5 and 7 (depending on the day of the week) Rajdhani Express trains pass through Mughal Sarai enroute to Delhi from the east of India, and the corresponding eastbounds pass through too. Rajdhanis are exclusive Air Conditioned trains that connect the nation's capital with each state capital. Rajdhani is Capital in Hindi (and all other north Indian languages. They usually run in a flight in each direction, one following the other in quick succession, while everything else is held in sidings.

Here is a video of one of those Rajdhanis, the one from Sealdah (Kolkata) to New Delhi passing through a wayside station (Saidraja) between Mughal Sarai (location of the largest marshaling yard in India) and Gaya (of Buddhist fame), at MAS. And yeah, there is no quiet zone. Each of these seem to run with their whistles permanently blasting.



Notice that this one is 20 cars. They are typically somewhere between 15 and 21 cars, with the ones to Kolkata (Sealdah and Howrah) both coming in at 20 or 21 cars. They are pulled by WAP-4, WAP-5 or WAP-7 electric locomotives.

I will post others on this thread as and when I find good ones.


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## caravanman (Mar 22, 2016)

Nice video, but please stop tempting me back to India for another round of train fan fun  !

Many interesting Youtube videos of high speed Indian trains online, the IRFCA items seem well presented.

Ed.


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## gaspeamtrak (Mar 23, 2016)

Awesome ! That's the way it should be here in North America! Thanks for sharing Jis ! Looking forward to the other video's...


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## Palmetto (Mar 23, 2016)

I do hope the sleeping cars are on the hind end!!


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## jis (Mar 23, 2016)

Palmetto said:


> I do hope the sleeping cars are on the hind end!!


The entire train is sleeping cars, well 16 cars are sleeping cars. There are two Pantry/Buffet Cars and two End on Generator/Guard/Luggage cars.

There are three types of sleeping cars - AC 3 Tier, AC 2 Tier and AC First in order of increasing price. The first two are Sections. only the last one has compartments, but they are shared compartments.

it is an overnight train, departing each end around 5pm and arriving at the other end around 10am - around 900 miles and a bit with around 6 stops en route.

I have traveled on the other New Delhi - Kolkata Rajdhani - the Howrah Rajdhani, in AC First, which are on the front end eastbound, and rear end westbound. The horn is not too loud even in the H-2 car eastbound which is the first passenger carrying car. Had no problem sleeping through it.


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## jis (Mar 23, 2016)

A rare occurrence - Seeing both the Sealdah - New Delhi Rajdhani and Howrah New Delhi Rajdhani in the same video at two different levels just outside Kolkata at Bally, just before their routes join together towards Delhi on the Howrah Bardhaman Chord at Belanagar, where the Sealdah Rajdhani will wait for the Howrah Rajdhani to move ahead per planned schedule.

Just as background info Howrah and Sealdah are two huge stations on the two banks of the Hooghly River, both of which serve Kolkata. Howrah is the largest station on Indian Railways.


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## Palmetto (Mar 24, 2016)

Very nice! Thanks for posting it!


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## Metra Electric Rider (Mar 24, 2016)

Are those the trains that have the super ultra uber extra luxurious sleeping accommodations? Or are those a separate service entirely?


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## jis (Mar 24, 2016)

If you are referring to the tourist special trains, these are not those trains. They are run completely separate from the public commercial service.

The accommodation on the all Airconditioned Rajdhani, AC Shatabdi and AC Duronto Expresses are not luxurious by any measure. They are affordable AC Sleeper service mostly in Sections. Even the AC First Class compartments cannot be reserved for exclusive use, unless of course you fill every berth in the compartment. In general you share them with others. Ladies are usually placed together in compartments and are not forced to share with men.


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## jis (Mar 24, 2016)

Both the Sealdah (Kolkata) and Mumbai Rajdhani depart New Delhi at about the same time and run in parallel upto a point just by the Pragati Maidan station where the Sealdah Rajdhani makes a sharp left turn onto the New Yamuna Bridge to head East towards Kolkata while the Mumbai Rajdhani continues south towards Mathura and then onto Mumbai south-west of there. The overhead bridge just before the split is the Delhi Metro Line heading to trans-Yamuna areas of Delhi.

Here are two videos of these two trains running in parallel. The first one taken from the platform of Shivaji Bridge (nee Minto Bridge) station just outside New Delhi yards, and the second one taken from aboard the Mumbai Rajdhani departing from new Delhi, passing through Shivaji Bridge and Tilak Bridge (Harding Bridge) and then to the point where the Sealdah Rajdhani veers off to the left.


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## Metra Electric Rider (Mar 25, 2016)

I'll have to look up the train I am thinking of - wasn't sure if it was a tourist train or a few cars on a regular train. I suspect it is a tourist train, something like the Maharaja Express iirc. Just looked it up, yes, that was it.


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## jis (Mar 25, 2016)

There are no "few tourist cars attached on a regular train" on important regular commercial runs in India, other than Saloons for senior railway staff, and an occasional group car rental or two here and there. Private Varnish does not exist in India, and Indian Railways does not run tourist operations attached to important commercial trains. As it is those trains run pretty much at the limit of the number of cars allowed anyway, leaving not much room for additions. Even the railway staff saloon seldom get attached to important trains. They and any car rentals usually get tagged onto secondary trains. I have traveled some in saloons thanks to my cousin in law who is a senior staff member in the railways.


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## Metra Electric Rider (Mar 29, 2016)

I'll have to remember to make friends with your cousin for when I finally get to India (my trip to India last year fell through, and it was, believe it or not, going to be a driving trip from Delhi to the Himalaya's!!!).


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## jis (Mar 29, 2016)

Metra Electric Rider said:


> I'll have to remember to make friends with your cousin for when I finally get to India (my trip to India last year fell through, and it was, believe it or not, going to be a driving trip from Delhi to the Himalaya's!!!).


If you were going to Ladakh or Himachal Pradesh (Lahul-Spiti, or Manali - Rohtang Pass), you can take the train to Chandigarh, and then get a car with driver from there to go up into the hills. Chandigarh is a quick three or four hour trip on a Shatabdi Express from Delhi, two trains per day, one in the morning and the other in the evening.

If you are going into the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, similarly you can take a Shatabdi Express to Dehra Dun or Kathgodam, and then hit the road.

Logistically though, it is probably much simpler to arrange for a car starting from Delhi. You have to be a true train aficionado or on a low budget, to undergo the additional complications of doing part of the journey by train, and then too possibly doing a bus from Delhi is probably easier. I believe there are buses, and very good ones from Delhi to Manali and then from Manali to Leh, the latter only during the summer months when the high Himalayan passes are open for traffic.


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## Metra Electric Rider (Mar 30, 2016)

It was actually even more complicated, yet simpler. A good friend of mine had been supervising a team in Delhi and an Indian colleague became a friend. He likes driving and arranging trips so he suggested, if we wanted, to do a driving trip from Delhi.

I would like to see Chandigarh, mainly to see the Corb buildings. What will more likely happen is a train trip at some point from Delhi to Chennai and back, as I have a standing invitation to visit friends in Chennai.


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## jis (Mar 30, 2016)

Chandigarh is an easy day trip from Delhi out by the morning Shatabdi and return by the evening Shatabdi from Chandigarh. Plenty of time to take in the Le Corbusier buildings of the capital. Just hire a three wheeler for the day at the station.


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## jis (Apr 21, 2016)

If one were to spend a night dusk to dawn at a station named Jaswantnagar on the busy Delhi - Kanpur segment of the Delhi - Kolkata trunk route, said to be the busiest trunk route in India, you'd see an incredible number of express trains pass by. Here is a video that I found put together by someone that I know, which you might enjoy just for the sheer number and length of the expresses that pass by. Pretty good job of videography considering it is mostly at night. Notice the parade of eastbound Rajdhani Expresses earlier in the night going east to various eastern state capitals from the nation's capital.

notice the station flagman with the hand held green flashing lamp that he signals all clear to each passing train with. If you notice carefully, you'l see that each engine that passes by has a similar green flashing lamp on the right side facing forward on the train.


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## jis (May 6, 2016)

An ode to the WAP-7 Class passenger electric locomotive of Indian Railways:


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## jis (Dec 24, 2016)

Notice how Indian Railfans give affectionate names to trains, ascribe feelings to them and such ....


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## caravanman (Dec 26, 2016)

Sans Pareil, as they said at the Rainhill trials in 1829. 

Ed.


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## GiantsFan (Feb 8, 2017)

I just went to india for the first time (Cousin's engagement) ... and I rode a few trains while I was there.

First I did the Delhi (Hazrat Nizamuddin) to Agra Gatimaan express (Fastest train in India)

Second I did the Delhi to Jaipur mail express in AC2 (Highest class available - sleeper train)

Lastly i did Jaipur to Delhi on the Double Decker Express in Executive chair class.

Great experiences all 3 times!


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## jis (Feb 27, 2017)

And here we worry about Amtrak trains waiting for freight trains! Here is a super fast rated express stuck waiting for higher priority expresses to overtake it. To mitigate this problem portions of this section are being triple and quadruple tracked progressively with installation of CTC and ERTMS II equivalent capabilities.



And lest you believe that Poorva Express only gets overtaken by others, here it is overtaking a lower priority express:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4luDPacnq6M

This is on the 4 track speedway between Asansol and Bardhaman in West Bengal about 120km from Kolkata.


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## Metra Electric Rider (Mar 1, 2017)

Express trains waiting on other express trains (too many express trains)? If I were snarky, I would say first world problems....


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## caravanman (Mar 6, 2017)

There are a huge number of trains in India, so there are humble "express" and "superfast express" even before you get to the real fast Rajdhani and similar express trains!

Having a bit more elbow room on the faster trains is more important to me than the speed, from my standing at the open door, sightseeing tourist point of view. 

Ed.


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## jis (Apr 17, 2017)

Been a while, so here is another one of a race between two expresses. This one is in the state of West Bengal on the Howrah - Bardhaman Chord Line which is the primary route of all higher speed expresses from/to Kolkata to/from the Northwest, including Delhi. This section is now slated to get a fourth track, and possibly additional tracks for the Dedicated Freight Corridor between Kolkata - Delhi and the Northwest.


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 17, 2017)

And its Seabiscuit by a Nose!

And we just think the Summer consists of the Canadian are Long! How'd you like to walk that train???!!


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## jis (Apr 17, 2017)

Rajdhanis with 20 or 21 is the max. There are other expresses that carry 24 and a few these days that even go upto 26 I am told.

But there are about half a dozen effectively daily trains between Delhi and Kolkata that are each 20 cars or more AFAICT.


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## caravanman (Apr 23, 2017)

Yep, if you are at the wrong end of the platform when your train pulls in, it 'aint going to be a restful start to your trip. Trust me!

Ed.


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## jis (May 14, 2019)

Someone managed to capture all 19 Rajdhani Expresses at speed and present them in a single video.... Here it is:



Observe the extreme standardization of equipment. These trains connect the national capital to each state capital, so they operate all over India, and yet the equipment is completely standard and interchangeable.

Also observe the ubiquity of electrification in India. There are just a couple of remaining diesel trains among these, and as you see in one, even those routes are getting electrified rapidly.

BTW HOG stands for Head On Generation (hotel power provided by the Locomotive), as opposed to EOG - End On Generation (hotel power provided by Generator Car)


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## jis (May 25, 2019)

Some more express action this time on Eastern Railway on one of the earliest segments of Main Line of India. This segment went into service before the Mutiny of 1857 or the first Battle for Independence, depending on ones perspective.

It was electrified in the 1950s using a 3kV DC system. The catenary installed then was left in place while replacing the power supply and installing higher voltage insulators, when it was converted to 25kV AC in the 1960s. So what you see is the original 3kV installation duly modified for 25kV.


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## Metra Electric Rider (May 26, 2019)

I hadn't realized that the rails were that old in India (not surprised, just somehow hadn't).


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## jis (May 26, 2019)

Metra Electric Rider said:


> I hadn't realized that the rails were that old in India (not surprised, just somehow hadn't).


First Broad Gauge service ran on 16th April 1853 from Bombay to Thane (GIPR). By 1857 the then East Indian Railway Main Line (now what is known as the Sahibganj Loop) from Calcutta had reached almost half way to Delhi, and service on the first segment of that started in 1854. So over 500 miles of railway on that one route was put in service in less than four years. The newly built station in Ara (near Patna the capital of Bihar today), was sieged for a while by the "mutineers" and many of the British who had retreated to that defensible structure were killed there before the siege was lifted by troops arriving from Calcutta. Interestingly, the continued construction of the railways was slowed down only slightly by the events of 1857.


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## Metra Electric Rider (May 27, 2019)

Cool, thank you! So if I were snarky I would say that India thought it a good idea to have England build and pay for those new-fangled railway things and then boot them out (which took a bit longer than anticipated). 

One historical note that I find interesting is that how war, despite it's all encompassing reputation, doesn't really always seem to slow down every day life (or perhaps a better way of saying it is that everyday life manages to keep going, at least up to a point). At least in many cases, especially when battles are fought remote from population.


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## jis (May 27, 2019)

Actually it was investors in the Railway Companies, which included rich folks from both England and India, that funded the initial construction of the railways. It is quite a fascinating history. The primary reason they were built was to support the expansion of the enterprise of the East India Company before 1857 and the Crown after 1857 and support the logistics of managing it. The original bits of IR were all built by private companies mainly interested in extracting wealth from India to transfer it to England (well actually the rich in England and India). After they were progressively nationalized as the fat cats lost the stomach for the risks, it became the Crown's problem to continue to fund. They continued to do so because literally they could not control and manage India without the railways.

The reason UK left India is because the War (WW II) bankrupted them and they simply did not have the means to carry on as before, and because the US used the War as a means to deprive the European powers of their colonies to advance their own agenda. On their way out they (UK) unilaterally cancelled (with the connivance of the U,S since the US did not want to see Silver bullion prices destabilized if the amount owed were actually transferred in the form of Silver - the Brits did not have it available in their vaults anyway. They were broke) outstanding war debts to India of many hundreds of millions of pounds. But that is way beyond the scope of this group.

The Indian Railways angle on that is that many hundreds of miles of trackage were torn up in India to provide materials for building railroads in the middle east and Southest Asia to support the war effort. Rolling stock was commandeered and shipped out where it was deemed necessary never to be returned. Indian Railways really struggled mightily immediately after the War even to keep every day freight movement going to carry essential like grains and coal and such. Recovery was slow and gained steam only after independence.


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## gswager (May 27, 2019)

Thanks Jis about the reason for the independence of India. I was wondering about that since so many colonies were given up during that era.


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## jis (Sep 5, 2019)

Not high speed action but intense action at Bally on the approach to Kolkata’s Howrah Station from the Eastern Railway side (Northern India including both Northeast and Northwest). Howrah’s other feed (3 soon to become 4 tracks) is from Southeastern Railway (from the South and West India) which is separate from this feed.

The line above is a connection to Kolkata’s other giant terminal station Sealdah on the Kolkata (east) bank of the river.


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## jis (Feb 10, 2022)

An interesting triple parallel departure from New Delhi.



In the US you see this sort of thing regularly at LIRR's Jamaica station. This sort of multiple departures and arrivals are very common at several large terminals in India like New Delhi Jn.; Howrah and Sealdah in Kolkata, Mumbai CSMT (previously VT) and Mumbai Central to name a few.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Feb 11, 2022)

You also see that in the UK at the busy London stations such as Clapham Junction.


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## jis (Feb 11, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> You also see that in the UK at the busy London stations such as Clapham Junction.


Indeed, there are many places in the UK. Even at the approach to Manchester Piccadilly for example, not to mention a few of the London terminals in addition to the legendary Clapham Junction.


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## cirdan (Feb 11, 2022)

jis said:


> Actually it was investors in the Railway Companies, which included rich folks from both England and India, that funded the initial construction of the railways. It is quite a fascinating history. The primary reason they were built was to support the expansion of the enterprise of the East India Company before 1857 and the Crown after 1857 and support the logistics of managing it. The original bits of IR were all built by private companies mainly interested in extracting wealth from India to transfer it to England (well actually the rich in England and India). After they were progressively nationalized as the fat cats lost the stomach for the risks, it became the Crown's problem to continue to fund. They continued to do so because literally they could not control and manage India without the railways.
> 
> The reason UK left India is because the War (WW II) bankrupted them and they simply did not have the means to carry on as before, and because the US used the War as a means to deprive the European powers of their colonies to advance their own agenda. On their way out they (UK) unilaterally cancelled (with the connivance of the U,S since the US did not want to see Silver bullion prices destabilized if the amount owed were actually transferred in the form of Silver - the Brits did not have it available in their vaults anyway. They were broke) outstanding war debts to India of many hundreds of millions of pounds. But that is way beyond the scope of this group.
> 
> The Indian Railways angle on that is that many hundreds of miles of trackage were torn up in India to provide materials for building railroads in the middle east and Southest Asia to support the war effort. Rolling stock was commandeered and shipped out where it was deemed necessary never to be returned. Indian Railways really struggled mightily immediately after the War even to keep every day freight movement going to carry essential like grains and coal and such. Recovery was slow and gained steam only after independence.



This is very interesting and I hadn't appreciated this aspect before.

Were the companies that later formed IR nationalized prior to independence, or was this something done by India?

I always imagined Indian independence was largely due to figures such as Gandi who basically created a situation that would have made it untenable for India to remain part of the British Empire for much longer. And thus independence would at that time have become an inevitable certainty, the only questions to be settled being when and how, but not if. Your macro-economic take makes it sound as if the mechanism was totally different.


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## jis (Feb 11, 2022)

cirdan said:


> This is very interesting and I hadn't appreciated this aspect before.
> 
> Were the companies that later formed IR nationalized prior to independence, or was this something done by India?


All the major companies were brought under the control of some government or the other during the British rule. Many lines were controlled by the Princely States, and the biggies like NWR, EIR, BNR, GIPR, MSMR etc. were brought under the control, of British India government. Some were merged to form larger companies under government control, all under British India.


> I always imagined Indian independence was largely due to figures such as Gandi who basically created a situation that would have made it untenable for India to remain part of the British Empire for much longer. And thus independence would at that time have become an inevitable certainty, the only questions to be settled being when and how, but not if. Your macro-economic take makes it sound as if the mechanism was totally different.


Let's take this part on PM or at least in the Lounge. I will try to write up a brief explanation later today in the lounge. It will be my perspective. There is no agreed upon canonical story about it, events that took place 75-85 years back.


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