Mumbai: Good news for commuters on Central line. The newly launched Rajdhani Express train on Central Railway (CR) will ply every day, just like the two Rajdhanis on the Western Railway (WR). This comes after CR received a positive response from the commuters and asked it to run it daily instead of bi-weekly. “We have received an enthusiastic response from the passengers and accordingly have sent a proposal for requisition for more rakes. Once these are made available, CR will ply the Rajdhani Express daily,” said a senior railway official.
On January 19, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal had flagged off the city’s third Rajdhani Express and the first on CR, from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Hazrat Nizamuddin station in New Delhi. The new Rajdhani (22221/22) is the fastest train to Delhi for passengers from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to Delhi/Mumbai via Itarsi.
Sunil Udasi, the Chief Public Relations Officer, CR, said, they have not fixed any date till now to run the Rajdhani daily. However, the administration plans to launch the service, once rakes are available. A senior official from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) said, they have received an order from Railway Board for 21 new coaches for CR Rajdhani. Currently, it runs with 16 coaches. “By mid-February, eight new coaches will be delivered to Mumbai,” added official.
Interestingly, the Indian Railways have equipped the new Rajdhani Express with modern features and facilities. The train boasts of free Wi-Fi, 3D VR headsets and advanced hand-held terminals. VR (Virtual Reality) headsets will also be provided to the first AC coach passengers for the journey. Moreover, the Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) on board of this new train will be armed with advanced Hand-Held Terminals (HHTs). This will enable to check ticket status and do real-time update of the berth occupancy, to boost the chances of confirmation of waitlisted tickets.
