Shatabdi Express
Encyclopedia
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
: शताब्दी एक्सप्रेस) are a series of fast (called superfast
Superfast Mail/Express
Superfast Mail/Express trains are faster Express rail service of India with Superfast charge levied over Mail/Express charges. Superfast trains make small number of stops, unlike Mail/Express and hence cover the same distance in marginally lower time span, as compared to their counterparts...
in India) passenger trains operated by Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
to connect Metro cities with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business. Shatabdi Express are day-trains and they return to the station of origin the same day.
The Shatabdis are among the fastest trains in India and the Indian Railways considers them as prestigious. The Shatabdi Express trains run over short to medium distances while the Rajdhani Expresses are long-distance trains connecting the nation's capital New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
to capitals of states. Both series of trains have a regular speed of 130 to 140 km/h (80.8 to 87 mph). The 12001 Bhopal Shatabdi
Bhopal Shatabdi
Bhopal Shatabdi Express is a train operated by the Northern Railway which runs between New Delhi, the main railway station of India's capital territory, New Delhi. and Bhopal Junction the main railway station of Bhopal City, the state capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The train is...
express, however, runs at a peak speed of 160 km/h (99.4 mph), which makes it the fastest train in India.
History
The word "Shatabdi" means centenary in SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and several Indian languages. The first Shatabdi train was started in 1988 to commemorate the centenary of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru's Birthday (the First Prime Minister of India) by Madhav Rao Scindia, minister for railways. It operated from New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
to Jhansi
Jhansi
Jhansi Hindi:झाँसी, , Marathi: झाशी, is a historical city of India. Jhansi is the administrative headquarters of Jhansi District and Jhansi Division. The original walled city grew up around its stone fort, which crowns a neighboring rock. This district is on the bank of river Betwa.The National...
, later extended to Bhopal. It is now known as the Bhopal Shatabdi Express.
Train
The Bhopal ShatabdiBhopal Shatabdi
Bhopal Shatabdi Express is a train operated by the Northern Railway which runs between New Delhi, the main railway station of India's capital territory, New Delhi. and Bhopal Junction the main railway station of Bhopal City, the state capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The train is...
is the fastest train in India and it runs at an average speed of around 98 km/h (60.9 mph) (Please see : Fastest trains in India) between the origin and the destination though it runs at speeds at 160 km/h (99.4 mph) on some stretches between Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
and New Delhi stations.These trains are now using latest L.H.B. Rakes to provide extra comfort in the train.
The Shatabdi in certain circumstances, has advantages over the other trains when it comes to receiving priority and berthing at one of the best platforms at the stations it stops at (generally platform number 1 at most of the stations).
The Lucknow - Delhi Shatabdi has a recorded speed of 145 km/h (90.1 mph) although it lingers in the neighborhood of 130 km/h (80.8 mph) for most of the cruising distance.
Related trains
A variant of the Shatabdi Express, Swarna Shatabdi Express, is considered more luxurious by Indian Railway.Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
later introduced a lower-priced version Jan Shatabdi Express
Jan Shatabdi Express
The Jan Shatabdi Express is a more affordable variety of the Shatabdi Express, which has both AC and non-AC accommodation...
es, which are nearly all without air-conditioning and much more affordable.
The former railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav had also introduced Garib Rath
Garib Rath
The Garib Rath express train is one of the premier trains introduced by the Indian Railways in 2005 by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to provide fully air-conditioned travel to those passengers who could not afford the expensive tickets of the fully air-conditioned coaches as in Rajdhani...
(chariot of the poor). These are fast trains (like the Rajdhani and Shatabdi), are fully Air-Conditioned and with lower fares. These trains are quite successful and compete with low cost airlines on some long-distance routes.
Service
Shatabdi Express trains offer fast connectivity with only a few intermediate stops. They are fully air-conditioned and of a much higher standard than most Indian trains. Shatabdi Express travelers are provided with snacks, breakfast, meals, coffee or tea, a one-litre water bottle and a glass of canned juice.Berths and seats in Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani Express trains have to be reserved in advance before boarding the train. There is no unreserved accommodation in these trains, unlike most of the other trains in India. A few Shatabdis have a current booking system where tickets can be booked within a couple of hours before departure.
As Shatabdi Express are day-trains and return to the station of origin the same day, most of the coaches on the train have only airconditioned seats (called AC Chair Car or CC) and not berths. All the Shatabdi Express trains have, however, one coach of first class airconditioned seating. These coaches have wider leg room and offer better food compared to the normal Air conditioned seating(CC).
New on board entertainment systems have also been installed on some of these trains where the passengers can view movies and television serials directly via satellite. One of the first services to have this system is the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Shatabdi Express.
List of Shatabdi trains
Indian Railways operates 14 pairs of Shatabdi Express as on 1 July 2010. These trains are listed here.| Pair | Train No | Sector | Stoppages | Distance (km) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12001 - 12002 | Bhopal - New Delhi | Jhansi, Gwalior, Morena, Agra Cantt, Mathura | 701 | Daily |
| 2 | 12003 - 12004 | Lucknow - New Delhi | Kanpur, Etawah, Aligarh, Ghaziabad | 511 | Daily |
| 3 | 12005 - 12006 | New Delhi - Kalka | Kurukshetra, Ambala, Chandigarh | 303 | Daily |
| 4 | 12007 - 12008 | Chennai Central - Mysore | Bangalore City | 500 | except Wednesday |
| 5 | 12009 - 12010 | Mumbai - Ahmedabad | Borivali, Vapi, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Nadiad | 491 | except Sunday |
| 6 | 12011 - 12012 | New Delhi - Kalka | Panipat, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Chandigarh | 303 | Daily |
| 7 | 12013 - 12014 | New Delhi - Amritsar | Sirhind, Ludhiana, Phagwara, Jalandhar, Beas | 448 | Daily |
| 8 | 12015 - 12016 | New Delhi - Ajmer | Delhi Cantt, Gurgaon, Rewari, Alwar, Jaipur | 443 | except Wednesday |
| 9 | 12017 - 12018 | New Delhi - Dehradun | Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzzafarnagar, Saharanpur, Roorkee, Haridwar | 315 | Daily |
| 10 | 12019 - 12020 | Howrah - Ranchi | Durgapur, Raniganj, Asansol, Dhanbad, Chandrapura, Bokaro Steel City, Muri | 423 | except Sunday |
| 11 | 12025-26 | Pune-Secunderabad | Solapur, gulbarga, Wadi, Tandur, vikarabad | 597 | Except Tuesday |
| 12 | 12027 - 12028 | Chennai Central - Bangalore City | Katpadi, Bangalore Cantonment | 362 | except Tuesday |
| 13 | 12029 - 12030 | New Delhi - Amritsar | Ambala, Ludhiana, Phagwara, Jalandhar, Beas | 448 | except Thursday |
| 14 | 12031 - 12032 | New Delhi - Amritsar | Ambala, Ludhiana, Phagwara, Jalandhar, Beas | 448 | Thursday |
| 15 | 12033 - 12034 | Kanpur - New Delhi | Aligarh, Ghaziabad | 437 | except Sunday |
| 16 | 12037-12038 | Ludhiana-New Delhi | Rohtak,Sangrur | 329 | Monday,Tuesday,Friday,Saturday (Soon 7 days) |
Following three New Shatabdi Trains has been announced in 2011 Railway Budget by Mamata Banerjee (Minister of Railways).http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=70177
- Jaipur-Agra
Trivial Information
- All Shatabdi trains cover the whole journey Up & Down on the same day.
- Average Journey Distance is between 300 to 700 km.
- Average Journey Time is between 4 to 8 hours.
- Bhopal ShatabdiBhopal ShatabdiBhopal Shatabdi Express is a train operated by the Northern Railway which runs between New Delhi, the main railway station of India's capital territory, New Delhi. and Bhopal Junction the main railway station of Bhopal City, the state capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The train is...
is the first Shatabdi Train. - Bhopal ShatabdiBhopal ShatabdiBhopal Shatabdi Express is a train operated by the Northern Railway which runs between New Delhi, the main railway station of India's capital territory, New Delhi. and Bhopal Junction the main railway station of Bhopal City, the state capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The train is...
is the longest Shatabdi Train - Bhopal ShatabdiBhopal ShatabdiBhopal Shatabdi Express is a train operated by the Northern Railway which runs between New Delhi, the main railway station of India's capital territory, New Delhi. and Bhopal Junction the main railway station of Bhopal City, the state capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The train is...
is the fastest Shatabdi Train
- KalkaKalkaKalka is a town in the Panchkula district of Haryana, India. The name of the town is derived from the goddess Kali. The town is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a gateway to the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. It is on the National Highway 22 between Chandigarh and Shimla,...
Shatabdi is the shortest Shatabdi Train. - Kanpur Shatabdi was the only non-stop Shatabdi Train.
- AmbalaAmbalaAmbala is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border of the states of Haryana and Punjab in India. Politically; Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantt and Ambala City, approximately 3 kilometers apart from each other...
, AmritsarAmritsarAmritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, BangaloreBangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, ChandigarhChandigarhChandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
, ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Ghaziabad, KalkaKalkaKalka is a town in the Panchkula district of Haryana, India. The name of the town is derived from the goddess Kali. The town is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a gateway to the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. It is on the National Highway 22 between Chandigarh and Shimla,...
, Kanpur, Ludhiana and New Delhi are served by more than one Shatabdi Express - 12001/2 Bhopal ShatabdiBhopal ShatabdiBhopal Shatabdi Express is a train operated by the Northern Railway which runs between New Delhi, the main railway station of India's capital territory, New Delhi. and Bhopal Junction the main railway station of Bhopal City, the state capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The train is...
is the best Shatabdi in terms of average speed 93 km/h followed by 12034 Kanpur Shatabdi with an average speed of 89 km/h. - the newly inreoduced Pune-Secunderabad shatabdi is the second longest distant shatabdi and a shatabdi to run completely on diesel from start to end
Future
Some claim that since there is no competition within the passenger services of Indian Railways, little emphasis is given to the improvement of services.Furthermore, the Indian aviation sector is offering stiff competition and various airlines are pushing into the low-cost market on domestic routes, which in turn makes it attractive for the upper segment of rail passengers to shift to air travel. This, along with an inability to maintain a high level of service, makes it challenging for the Shatabdi and the Rajdhani Express
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.- History :...
to keep their customers.
See also
- Bhopal ShatabdiBhopal ShatabdiBhopal Shatabdi Express is a train operated by the Northern Railway which runs between New Delhi, the main railway station of India's capital territory, New Delhi. and Bhopal Junction the main railway station of Bhopal City, the state capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The train is...
- Bhopal Express
- Indian RailwaysIndian RailwaysIndian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
- Rajdhani ExpressRajdhani ExpressRajdhani Express is a passenger train service in India connecting New Delhi with other important destinations, especially state capitals. Rajdhani means "The Capital" in Hindi.- History :...
- Rajya Rani ExpressRajya Rani ExpressRajya Rani trains are a series of express trains operated by Indian Railways to connect state capitals with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business.-History:...
- Superfast Mail/ExpressSuperfast Mail/ExpressSuperfast Mail/Express trains are faster Express rail service of India with Superfast charge levied over Mail/Express charges. Superfast trains make small number of stops, unlike Mail/Express and hence cover the same distance in marginally lower time span, as compared to their counterparts...
, a category of fast Indian trains