Duronto Express

Series of Express train in India

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

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

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

List of defunct Duronto Express trains

Gallery

• 
  22214 Patna-Kolkata Shalimar AC Duronto Express on Platform 1 of Shalimar Railway Station.
• 
  12273 Howrah-New Delhi Duronto Express on Platform 6 of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction.
• 
  New Delhi–Bhubaneswar Duronto Express
• 
  Secunderabad to Hazrat Nizamuddin Duronto Express.
• 
  Yeswanthapur–Howrah Duronto Express leaving Yeswanthapur railway station.
• 
  12290 Nagpur Duronto Express at Mumbai CST station.
• 
  12273 Howrah-New Delhi Duronto Express standing on platform 4 of Asansol Junction.
• 
  12273 Howrah-New Delhi Duronto Express led by WAP 5 standing on Platform 5 at New Delhi Railway Station.

Trivia

• Sealdah–Bikaner Duronto Express was not only the first Duronto service to Bikaner but also one connecting New Delhi and Bikaner.
• Howrah–New Delhi Duronto Express which is equal to the Rajdhani Express gets top-most priority on the route, making it the fastest train in the Howrah–Delhi route.
• Howrah–SMVT Bengaluru Duronto Express which is 2 years from 10 August 2022, the train terminus in Bengaluru changed from Yesvantpur Junction railway station to Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal.
• Earlier they used Duronto hybrid LHB coaches, but now the train used LHB coaches.

Efficiency and speed

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

• 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]^[usurped].
• 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

• Vande Bharat Express
• Rajdhani Express
• Shatabdi Express
• Jan Shatabdi Express
• Jan Sadharan Express
• Garib Rath Express
• Rajya Rani Express
• Kavi Guru Express
• Vivek Express
• Yuva Express

References

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.

External links

• List of Duronto Trains on India Rail website