New Rajdhani train to cut Mumbai-Delhi travel time by 4 hours

Come Diwali, the Railways will introduce a new and faster Rajdhani Express on the Mumbai-Delhi route, the third Rajdhani train to run on the route, say senior railway officials.

The new train will cover the distance between Bandra in Mumbai and Delhi's Nizamuddin in 13 hours against the 17 hours the present Rajdhani Express train on the route takes.

While the August Kranti Rajdhani takes around 17 hours to cover the distance, the Mumbai Central New Delhi Rajdhani takes 15 hours and 35 minutes for the journey.

The trial run for the new train is expected to start in a couple of days. Railways will use the existing 24-coach Mumbai Rajdhani with two engines to speed up the journey. Besides, the train will be using Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches, reports quoting a senior railways official said.

Alternatively, the railways might introduce the new Rajdhani with 14 coaches and one engine to increase the speed.

LHB coaches offer better maneuverability as are known to have anti-climbing features and superior braking, which reduces chances of a derailment. The coaches can run at a top speed of 150 kmph.

Speeds on the Mumbai-Delhi route remain restricted due mainly to the track that has numerous curves that restrict average speeds on the rote to about 89 kmph. The Railways is hoping to increase it to 90-95 kmph, sources said.

Railways may also reduce the number of halts of the Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express from the current six to just three or two to increase speed.