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Duronto Express

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Duronto Express
An Air Conditioned 3 Tier coach of Duronto Express
Overview
StatusActive
First service18 September 2009; 14 years ago (18 September 2009)
SuccessorVande Bharat (sleeper trainset)
Current operator(s)Indian Railways
Websitehttp://indianrail.gov.in
Route
Line(s) used24
On-board services
Class(es)AC First Class, AC Two Tier, AC Three Tier, AC Three Tier Economy, Sleeper Class, 2nd Class Sitting
Seating arrangementsYes
Sleeping arrangementsYes
Catering facilitiesOn-board catering
Observation facilitiesLarge Windows, Reading Light, Announcement speaker in all class
Baggage facilitiesUnderseat
Technical
Rolling stockLHB coach
Track gauge5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
ElectrificationIn 20 trains
Operating speedAvg: 63 - 83  km/h
Max: 140  km/h
Track owner(s)Indian Railways

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

History

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

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

About

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

Duronto Express trains offer three classes of accommodation:

  • AC First Class (1A): Featuring 2-berth and 4-berth coupes with locking facilities for privacy.
  • AC 2-tier (2T): Providing open bays with 4 berths per bay, along with curtains for privacy.
  • AC 3-tier (3T): Similar to AC 2-tier but with 6 berths per bay.
  • AC 3 Tier Economy (3E): Also similar to AC 3-tier but with more seats and smaller berths.
  • Sleeper Class (SL): Featuring open bays with 6 berths per bay.

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

List of Duronto Express trains

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Train no. Origin Station Terminal Station Zone Frequency Distance Travel Time Avg speed Halts Inauguration
12213/12214 Yesvantpur Jn Delhi Sarai Rohilla SWR Weekly 2,362 km (1,468 mi) 31h 55m 72.48 km/h (45 mph) 6 February 19, 2011
12219/12220 Mumbai LTT Secunderabad Jn SCR Bi-weekly 770 km (478 mi) 12h 05m 64.41 km/h (40 mph) 3 February 23, 2011
12221/12222 Pune Jn Howrah SER Bi-weekly 2,015 km (1,252 mi) 29h 00m 70.70 km/h (44 mph) 7 October 11, 2010
12223/12224 Mumbai LTT Ernakulam Jn CR Bi-weekly 1,599 km (994 mi) 22h 00m 68.08 km/h (42 mph) 5 January 18, 2011
12227/12228 Mumbai Central Indore Jn WR Bi-weekly 829 km (515 mi) 11h 10m 73.16 km/h (45 mph) 3 January 26, 2011
12239/12240 Mumbai Central Hisar Jn WR Bi-weekly 1,511 km (939 mi) 21h 25m 68.72 km/h (43 mph) 10 April 03, 2011
12245/12246 Howrah SMVT Bengaluru SER 5 Days/wk 1,937 km (1,204 mi) 29h 00m 66 km/h (41 mph) 4 December 30, 2009
12259/12260 Sealdah Bikaner Jn ER 4 Days/wk 1,920 km (1,193 mi) 25h 00m 77 km/h (48 mph) 10 September 18, 2009
12261/12262 CSMT Mumbai Howrah SER 4 Days/wk 1,965 km (1,221 mi) 27h 00m 73.57 km/h (46 mph) 6 September 29, 2009
12263/12264 Pune Jn Hazrat Nizamuddin NR Bi-weekly 1,511 km (939 mi) 19h 54m 76.96 km/h (48 mph) 5 September 29, 2009
12265/12266 Delhi Sarai Rohilla Jammu Tawi NR Tri-weekly 576 km (358 mi) 08h 40m 66.05 km/h (41 mph) 1 April 01, 2010
12267/12268 Mumbai Central Hapa WR Daily 815 km (506 mi) 11h 40m 69.01 km/h (43 mph) 3 December 22, 2009
12269/12270 MGR Chennai Central Hazrat Nizamuddin SR Bi-weekly 2,175 km (1,351 mi) 28h 05m 76.28 km/h (47 mph) 6 September 21, 2009
12273/12274 Howrah New Delhi ER Bi-weekly 1,531 km (951 mi) 22h 05m 69.59 km/h (43 mph) 5 April 02, 2010
12281/12282 Bhubaneswar New Delhi ECoR Weekly 1,730 km (1,075 mi) 23h 05m 75.08 km/h (47 mph) 5 April 04, 2010
12283/12284 Ernakulam Jn Hazrat Nizamuddin NR Weekly 2,638 km (1,639 mi) 41h 55m 68.04 km/h (42 mph) 10 March 07, 2010
12285/12286 Secunderabad Jn Hazrat Nizamuddin SCR Bi-weekly 1,661 km (1,032 mi) 21h 50m 75.77 km/h (47 mph) 4 March 14, 2010
12289/12290 CSMT Mumbai Nagpur Jn CR Daily 835 km (519 mi) 11h 05m 72.78 km/h (45 mph) 2 November 21, 2009
12293/12294 Mumbai LTT Prayagraj Jn CR Bi-weekly 1,342 km (834 mi) 19h 20m 69.12 km/h (43 mph) 4 March 16, 2012
12297/12298 Ahmedabad Jn Pune Jn CR Tri-weekly 625 km (388 mi) 08h 45m 71.11 km/h (44 mph) 3 March 11, 2012
22201/22202 Sealdah Puri ER Tri-weekly 518 km (322 mi) 07h 55m 63.27 km/h (39 mph) 2 February 12, 2012
22203/22204 Visakhapatnam Jn Secunderabad Jn SCR Tri-weekly 663 km (412 mi) 10h 35m 64.75 km/h (40 mph) 2 July 08, 2012
22209/22210 Mumbai Central New Delhi WR Bi-weekly 1,386 km (861 mi) 16h 45m 83 km/h (52 mph) 3 March 23, 2012
22213/22214 Kolkata - Shalimar Patna Jn SER Tri-weekly 537 km (334 mi) 08h 20m 64.23 km/h (40 mph) 2 February 19, 2012

List of defunct Duronto Express trains

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

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Efficiency and speed

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

Incidents and accidents

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  • In January 2010, the passengers of the Duronto Express between Nagpur and Mumbai complained about passengers without confirmed tickets travelling inside the reserved coaches.[10]
  • In May 2010, at least 19 passengers on board the Ernakulam Duronto Express were admitted to the Government General Hospital after complaining of food poisoning.[11]
  • In June 2010, the Mumbai CST–Howrah Duronto Express faced interruption as its engine and generator car were detached from the rest of the train's coaches due to technical problems. The problem was fixed within less than an hour.[12]
  • In June 2013, the 12264 Hazrat Nizamuddin–Pune Duronto derailed near Monkey Hill due to a landslide. No injuries were reported & the train reached 5 hours late at Pune Junction [1].
  • In September 2015, 12220 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Secunderabad AC Duronto Express derailed at Martur station between Shahbad and Gulbarga on Solapur Division in Karnataka at around 02:15. Two passengers were killed and more than 30 injured when eight of its coaches were derailed.[13]
  • On 29 August 2017 12290 Nagpur Duronto Express heading towards Mumbai derailed between Vasind and Asangaon stations at 06.30 as heavy rains had caused mud slides onto the tracks which caused the derailment. No casualties were reported in an official statement by the Railway department.[14]
  • On 17 January 2019 unidentified persons entered into Jammu-Delhi Duronto near Badli, Delhi and looted the passengers.
  • On 10 May 2019 engine failure caused late departure of the train from Mumbai central by an hour.
  • On 11 August 2019 Yeshvantapur–Delhi Sarai Rohilla AC Duronto Express was cancelled due to "unavoidable circumstances".
  • On 24 April 2019 12274 Howrah–New Delhi Duronto Express led by Howrah WAP-7 30370 ran over cattle while at MPS near Jamtara, Jharkhand. The locomotive failed and was backed by ABB made GZB WAP-5 30009, but due to throttle issues it too needed help. A banker Locomotive, GMO WAG-9 31932 was attached. No passenger casualties/injuries were reported. This was a rare incident where all three types of locomotives equipped with 3-phase technology were seen hauling one train.
  • On 16 October 2022 More than 20 armed robbers reportedly climbed onto a Delhi-Kolkata Duronto Express train early on Sunday. Several passengers were allegedly looted at gunpoint by the robbers who climbed onto at least six-seven bogies of the train.

See also

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References

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