Rajdhani Express Routes & Schedule

About Rajdhani Express:

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.Rajdhani Express was introduced in 1969, for providing high-speed connections (up to 160 km/h/99 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 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 no curtains. Currently there are 21 pairs of Rajdhani Express trains, connecting New Delhi to Ahmedabad, Bangalore (2), Bhubaneswar(2), Chennai, Guwahati/Dibrugarh(2), Hyderabad, Ranchi(2), Kolkata (3), Jammu, Mumbai (2), Patna and Thiruvananthapuram. These trains have fewer stops than other express trains. They halt only in prominent cities and state capitals like Bhopal, Nagpur, Allahabad Lucknow, Kanpur, Gaya, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Jhansi, Kota, and Jaipur. Besides Delhi two State Capitals, Mumbai and Kolkata are served by more than one Rajdhani Express. For instance, 10 pairs of Rajdhani Express trains halt at Mughalsarai and 9 pairs at Kanpur Central, as well as 5 pairs of Rajdhani Express trains halt at Bhopal Junction They are introuduced in such a manner that it has only one stop in between its starting and ending points.These trains, which cross long distances at an average speed of around 80 km/h (50 mph), take a considerable amount of time. Because of this, and depending on how fares are structured, they have the potential to lose out to airlines.On trunk routes, airline tickets sometimes work out cheaper than Rajdhani Express fares. The standard of highways in India is improving too, thanks to the Government of India’s NHDP. In such a scenario the train could be seen to be high-priced, and possibly below the global standards of luxury and speed, thus prompting higher-income and business passengers to favour air and road travel over trains like the Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express.

Rajdhani Express Train Routes:

Rajdhani Train Names with Details [As of May 15, 2010]: