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India has a long tradition of the President riding trains on various occasions. After a hiatus of 15 years the recent President Ram Nath Kovind gave what amounted to a rebirth of this tradition when he traveled from Delhi Safdarjung (one of the VIP boarding points other than the VIP Platform at the New Delhi Station) to Kanpur Central, as he returned to his native Kanpur. Here is a short video of he and his wife boarding the Presidential Special (IR 00001) which uses the rake (consist) which is constituted by borrowing cars of the tourist Maharajah Express. The special has a married pair of cars constituting the Presidential Suite.
Here is a nice article tracing the history of the Presidential Specials
https://www.timesnownews.com/the-bu...rstwhile-presidents-boarding-the-train/775343
I have a personal story of Presidential Specials, no not me riding it, but read on...
Back in 1962 at the end of the summer break when we always visited Calcutta, we were returning north to Delhi and then on to Pilani where we lived in Rajasthan. We were traveling by the then prestigious and fastest Airconditioned Express (81 Up) from Howrah to New Delhi. Naturally we were hauled by one of the spectacular bullet nosed WP Class locomotives. This train had a nice Restaurant Car which we always made good use of for lunch, dinner and breakfast.
Now this train is known as Poorva Express, a 24 car train with 12 Airconditioned cars, an AC Buffet cum Pantry Car and rest non AC Sleepers and even a few General unreserved Second Classes, and it carries a Parcel Van too. It is still extremely popular for its convenient schedule.
Anyway, when we arrived at Gaya Junction on the Grand Chord line, we learned that the line ahead was blocked by a freight derailment and we will get diverted via Patna. Diversion to Patna went without a hitch and then we learned that the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad was traveling by his Presidential Special from his hometown Patna to Delhi. Naturally no one was going to be allowed to overtake him due to security concerns, and of course being the good politician that he was he took this opportunity to stop his special at every other station to make a speech to the local folks. He was a popular President. And we being the highest priority train after his Special got to wait at the Outer Signal of those stations. As a result we arrived in Delhi 11 hours late and almost missed our connecting train at night onward to Rajasthan.
Moral of the story is, don't get stuck behind the Presidential Special specially if the President is going to make speeches everywhere on the way. Although we were treated to special Presidential delay meals in the Restaurant complements of the President (normally one had to purchase food back then). Food was boarded on an emergency basis at Mughal Sarai and then Allahabad to keep us well fed through unplanned Lunch and Dinner covering the Presidential delay.
Typically a Presidential Special is bracketed between a Pilot train ahead of the Special, and another one behind the Special and there is elaborate security along the track with essentially all hands on deck guarding every Meter of the track. I suppose that is why it is not done too often. But when it is done it is quite a sight to behold.
Here is a nice article tracing the history of the Presidential Specials
https://www.timesnownews.com/the-bu...rstwhile-presidents-boarding-the-train/775343
I have a personal story of Presidential Specials, no not me riding it, but read on...
Back in 1962 at the end of the summer break when we always visited Calcutta, we were returning north to Delhi and then on to Pilani where we lived in Rajasthan. We were traveling by the then prestigious and fastest Airconditioned Express (81 Up) from Howrah to New Delhi. Naturally we were hauled by one of the spectacular bullet nosed WP Class locomotives. This train had a nice Restaurant Car which we always made good use of for lunch, dinner and breakfast.
Now this train is known as Poorva Express, a 24 car train with 12 Airconditioned cars, an AC Buffet cum Pantry Car and rest non AC Sleepers and even a few General unreserved Second Classes, and it carries a Parcel Van too. It is still extremely popular for its convenient schedule.
Anyway, when we arrived at Gaya Junction on the Grand Chord line, we learned that the line ahead was blocked by a freight derailment and we will get diverted via Patna. Diversion to Patna went without a hitch and then we learned that the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad was traveling by his Presidential Special from his hometown Patna to Delhi. Naturally no one was going to be allowed to overtake him due to security concerns, and of course being the good politician that he was he took this opportunity to stop his special at every other station to make a speech to the local folks. He was a popular President. And we being the highest priority train after his Special got to wait at the Outer Signal of those stations. As a result we arrived in Delhi 11 hours late and almost missed our connecting train at night onward to Rajasthan.
Moral of the story is, don't get stuck behind the Presidential Special specially if the President is going to make speeches everywhere on the way. Although we were treated to special Presidential delay meals in the Restaurant complements of the President (normally one had to purchase food back then). Food was boarded on an emergency basis at Mughal Sarai and then Allahabad to keep us well fed through unplanned Lunch and Dinner covering the Presidential delay.
Typically a Presidential Special is bracketed between a Pilot train ahead of the Special, and another one behind the Special and there is elaborate security along the track with essentially all hands on deck guarding every Meter of the track. I suppose that is why it is not done too often. But when it is done it is quite a sight to behold.
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