Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Latest News
-
Mahindra XUV 3XO SUV – Everything We Know So Far -
Top 10 Used Bikes to Kickstart Your Riding Journey -
Suzuki Swift Hatchback Scores 4 Star Safety Rating At JNCAP – ADAS, New Engine & More -
Porsche Introduces Macan EV In India, Expanding Electric Portfolio -
Tata Motors To Manufacture Jaguar Land Rover Cars In Billion Dollar TN Plant - Report -
Ford Territory SUV Name Trademarked – Likely To Be Positioned Below The Everest SUV -
Jawa Yezdi Expands Mega Service Camps To 32 New Cities, Focusing On Tier-II And Tier-III Regions -
Sany India Introduces SKT105E: An Electric Dump Truck -
Force Gurkha 5-Door SUV – New Features, Dual Tone Interiors & More -
Hyundai Verna Tops Sales Chart In India's Mid-Size Sedan Segment
'Deccan Queen' Completes 86 Years On The Rails
The Deccan Queen is a daily train that has been running between the cities of Mumbai and Pune for the past 85 years.
Now as it celebrates its 86th birthday on June 1, 2016 we take a look back the history and many firsts that this extremely popular train has achieved in its past and why exactly it is so popular with everyday commuters between Mumbai and Pune.
Electric Since The Day She First Ran
The Deccan Queen started operations in 1930 and has been pulled and pushed along exclusively by electric locomotives.
The first Deccan Queen was pulled by a WCM1 locomotive like the one here.
Image Source
Originally A Weekend Train For The Brits & High Society
The Deccan Queen was originally conceived as a train to ferry the Brits between Mumbai and Pune so that they could go watch the Horse races in Pune and come back in time for the work week.
It was soon changed to a daily train soon after its first run. However, third class coaches(what we now know as second class) when the train shifted to a new rake(set of coaches) was added in 1966, 19 years after India gained independence
Image Source
The Queen Gets It First
The Deccan Queen is the holder of numerous firsts on the Indian Railways. The Queen was the first ever ‘superfast' train as well as the first long distance electric hauled passenger train in India.
Another major milestone first achieved by the Queen, was being the first ever train in India to have coaches that were reserved for the Ladies.
Image Source
The Dining Car: A Throwback To The Raj
The Deccan Queen is the only passenger train in India(other than the extreme luxury trains) to feature a dining car.
The pantry car doubles up as the diners coach and serves breakfast in the morning and snacks in the evening to hungry workers.
Image Source
A Queen On Time
The Deccan Queen starts every morning from Pune at 07:15 a.m everyday and reaches the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) in Mumbai at 10:25 a.m..
The return journey for the train starts from CST the same evening at 05:10 p.m. and arrives back at Pune Junction at 8:25 p.m.
The Deccan Queen is very rarely late and it cuts travel time between Mumbai and Pune by at least 45 minutes.
Image Source - Wikimedia Commons
The People’s Queen
The Deccan Queen is one of the most popular trains in the country and railway enthusiasts along with yearly pass holders and the train's attendants cut a cake whose weight is the same as the age of the train.
Image Source - Wikimedia Commons
