Gatimaan Express, the fastest train in the country, kept its date with history on Tuesday as it covered its >maiden journey between Delhi and Agra in exactly 100 minutes, clocking 160 kmph during most of its run.
The Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station of Delhi was completely decked up as Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the train at around 10.10 a.m. on Tuesday. The train sputtered to a start but soon picked up speed as it crossed Okhla railway station and from there on, completed its journey at tearing speed even as the 237 passengers on board settled down in their cushy seats of AC Chair Car coaches.
“We often drive down to Agra during the weekend with my family but with the Gatimaan Express now taking less time in covering the distance and in far greater comfort, I wouldn’t need to drive to Agra anymore,” said Ravi Kumar Goel (52), a Kalkaji resident and a businessman.
Most passengers were taking the train for a joyride, with many having booked tickets on Tuesday morning. Kapil Jain, a 30-year-old Indian Air Force official, had come to Delhi from Agra just to board the inaugural train back to his home. “It is a great initiative and I wanted to be a part of it. It was just awesome to see the train speed at 160 kmph and I would hope that soon, we can have trains running at 300 kmph,” he said.
There was also a small group of ‘rail fans’, who had come equipped with GPS based apps on their smartphones to see exactly how fast Gatimaan can run. “The speed varied between 147 kmph to 170 kmph but since these apps are not entirely accurate, I have taken an average and that is coming to 160 kmph,” said Mohit (28), a member of Indian Railways Fan Club Association (IRFCA).
For the passengers, the high point was the always smiling Train hosts and hostesses, who greeted them with flowers and chocolates. A sore point, however, was unavailability of free wi-fi services that railways had promised. “Where is the internet connectivity they had promised? Apart from the speed, which is impressive, it’s like any other Shatabdi,” said Ravi Mehrotra (64), a businessman who travels between Delhi and Agra frequently.
The on board multi-cuisine menu, provided by IRCTC was much appreciated by the passengers. IRCTC is also offering two different Agra guided tours of one day and two day duration, coinciding with the time table of the Gatimaan Express.
The rather plush LHB coaches have been built by the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala and have been fitted with bio-toilets that turn waste into smaller amounts of disposable water.
From April 6, Gatimaan Express will depart from Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station at 8.10 a.m. and reach Agra Cantt. Railway station at 9.50 a.m. On its return leg, the train will depart from Agra at 5.50 p.m. and reach Hazrat Nizamuddin at 7.30 p.m. Indian Railway PRO Anil Saxena said that studies are on to achieve a speed of 200 kmph for trains and more corridors such as Delhi-Agra would be started for Gatimaan Express.
“This is a new milestone for Indian Railways, which has entered the high speed age,” Mr. Saxena said. “Passengers are very satisfied provided on the Gatimaan Express and we will try to improve them and make them world-class,” he said.
