Gatimaan Express makes Delhi-Agra a 100-mn joyride

India's first semi-high speed train, running at a speed of 160 kmph, became operational on the Indian Railways from 5 April. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the Gatimaan Express, which will run between Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin and Agra Cantonment stations.

Railways minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu flagging off India's first semi-high speed train christened, 'Gatimaan Express', between Hazrat Nizammuddin station and Agra Cantt

Although nowhere near the speeds achieved by trains in many other countries, the launch of this train nonetheless heralds a new era of high-speed rail travel by Indian standards. Thus the Gatimaan Express seems to be making a symbolic statement about the Railways finally picking up pace in India's transportation scenario.

The train's top speed of 160 kmph easily beats the Bhopal Shatabdi – India's fastest train thus far at 150 kmph. Gatimaan covers the 184-kilometre distance between New Delhi and Agra in 100 minutes, as opposed to 110 minutes by the Bhopal Shatabdi.

Gatimaan will operate on all days of the week except Fridays, departing from Hazrat Nizamuddin at 8.10 am to reach Agra Cantt at 9.50 am. On its return journey, the train will depart from Agra at 5.50 pm to reach New Delhi at 7.30 pm.

The AC chair car fare for travelling from New Delhi to Agra has been fixed at Rs750, as opposed to Bhopal Shatabdi's fare of Rs515. The executive class fare of Gatimaan has been fixed at Rs1,500, compared to the Bhopal Shatabdi's of Rs1,010.

The train has 12 coaches, comprising two executive class compartments, eight AC chair car coaches and two pantry cars.

Gatimaan is seen more as a breakthrough in traffic management than a technological advance. The Railways have put in place several time-saving measures  such as fixing its departure from Hazrat Nizamuddin station (instead of the more crowded New Delhi terminal) and doing away with midway stoppages to ensure that it makes good time.

The Gatimaan Express is equipped with modern toilets as well as futuristic wash basin.

The new train is a nod to the future of rail travel in India, with each compartment featuring railway hosts and hostesses who greet passengers by presenting them with a rose bud. The train has hotspot entertainment options, besides bio-toilets, LED lights and micro-busters for providing good fragrance.

The Railways have tied up with an IT firm called My Free TV, which provides free Wi-Fi and offline video on demand services to passengers. The train's compartments sport paintings depicting places of historical interest in Delhi and Agra.

The Railways have made a big effort to enhance catering services. The transporter has tied up with a firm called Travel Food Services, which also caters for airlines operating from Terminal-3 of Palam airport. Passengers can choose between Indian and continental food, and a health menu option is also on the cards. The food – which will include freshly cut fruit – comes in trolleys.

Two packages – of one and two days' duration – have been put on offer, with different rates for domestic and foreign passengers. Those opting for these packages will be taken on a guided tour of historical places, including the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri.

A product of the Make in India initiative, the train was indigenously built at an estimated cost of Rs50 crore at the Kapurthala rail coach factory.

Gatimaan, hailed as India's first semi-high speed train, is likely to be introduced on eight other routes across the country soon.