NEW DELHI: Commemorating the 92 years of country's first superfast train-the Deccan Queen, the railways have decided to run this train with the rakes of ultramodern and safe LHB coaches, manufactured on the German technology. The LHB coaches are manufactured with an operating speeding capacity up to 160 to 200 kmph with a pneumatic disc brake system.
" The entire rake of its conventional coaches of Deccan Queen will be replaced with the LHB coaches and run with the LHB rakes from June 22 from CST side and on June 23 from Pune side", ADG PR Railway Rajiv Jain said. As the country's first daily passenger superfast train, the Deccan Queen was introduced on June 1 in 1930 between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Terminus (CST) and Pune junction by the
Central Railway.
This train is still running since then carrying many firsts in it services. Railway sources said it is also the first vestibule train with the first 'women-only' and the first dining cars in its rake for the passengers onboard.
The name of this country's first premier train-the Deccan Queen; was given from a popular nickname for Pune. It runs on an average speed of 120 kmph and its 92 birthday was celebrated with much fanfare by the railways on June 1 in Pune.
Jain said that the Deccan Queen was introduced as a weekend superfast train with two rakes of only seven coaches each.
Citing a historic fact, a senior railway official said that the Deccan Queen was first used to ferry rich patrons from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Pune, who wanted to attend the Horse race at the Pune Race Crouse in 1930. Gradually, its frequency increased to daily with a diesel loco and later with the electric
locomotive.
"In the initial days of this country's first premier train, coaches were painted by silver color with scarlet moldings. Its original underframes of coaches were built in England while upper bodies of coaches were built in the Matunga Workshop of the Great Indian Peninsula railway", said the railway sources, adding
that only first and the second classes of coaches were sued in it.
With the passage of time amid improving railway infrastructure, the Deccan Queen was added with the third-class seating in 1955. The railway preserving the historic grandeur of this train has decided to continue its unique dine-in pantry car even with the new LHB coaches.