Rajya Rani trains are a series of express trains operated by Indian Railways to connect state capitals with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business.
History The word "Rajya" means "State"Tamilcube.com: rajya, Tamil Cube, 9 September 2011. and the word "Rani" means QueenTamilcube.com: rani, Tamil Cube, 10 March 2012. in Sanskrit and several Indian languages. The Rajya Rani trains were announced by the railway minister in railway budget 2011.Headlines Today Bureau: 10 new Rajya Rani Express trains announced., Headlines Today Bureau, 25 February 2011.Equity Bulls: Rajya Rani Express to Connect State Capitals With Important Cities of Those States., Equity Bulls, 25 February 2011. The first Rajya Rani train was started between Mysore and Bangalore by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and was flagged off on 1 July 2011 by K. H. Muniyappa, Minister of State for Railways.Day in Pics, TOI: Rajya Rani Express inaugurated, Times of India, 2 Jul 2011.
Etymology The train was named after Maharani Gayatri Devi, former princess of the state of Cooch Behar, Maharani of Jaipur.Jayanta Gupta, TNN: Trains in honour of Gayatri Devi., Times of India, 1 July 2011. She was one of the world's 10 most beautiful women on the Vogue list. She shares space with the likes of Rabindranath Tagore (Kavi Guru Express) and Swami Vivekananda (Vivek Express) as the railways has named a series of trains as Rajya Rani Expresses to honour the late Rajmata of Jaipur.
On 22 May 2017, the Dadar-Sawantwadi Rajya Rani Express was named as "Tutari Express" to mark the centenary of Keshavasuta's famed poem titled "Tutari".
Traction And Coach Rakes All Rajya Rani Express trains today still runs with both ICF coaches or LHB coaches and they hauled by both diesel and electrified locomotives diesel locomotive like WDM-3A, WDM-3D and WDP-4D or WDP-4 (only ICF rakes) electric locomotive like WAP-4 and WAP-7 (both LHB and ICF rakes)
Active services S.No.Train No.SectorDistance (km)Date of introduction 120659 / 20660 Mysore – Bangalore 1391 July 2011 21100311004 Dadar – Sawantwadi Road 4971 July 2011 322861 / 22862 Shalimar – Adra (Canceled) 283 1 Oct 2011 42216122162 Bhopal – Damoh 291 12 Nov 2011 516349 / 16350 Thiruvananthapuram North – Nilambur Road 443 16 Nov 2011 618117 / 18118 Rourkela – Gunupur 798 16 Nov 2011 (Started between Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Later extended to Gunupur on 20 March 2017) 715417 / 15418 Alipurduar – Silghat 460 14 Feb 2012 (Started between Dhubri and Silghat. Later extended to Alipurduar on 1 October 2016) 8 22453 / 22454 Meerut – Lucknow 459 11 March 2012 9 17611 / 17612 Nanded – Mumbai CSMT 604 11 March 2012 (Started between Manmad and Mumbai CST. Later extended to Nanded on 10 January 2020) 10 12567 / 12568 Saharsa – Patna 214 18 March 2012
Tragedy
On 19 August 2013, the 12567 Saharsa Junction–Patna Junction Rajya Rani Express ran over 37 persons and injured 24 persons who were illegally crossing the tracks at Dhamara Ghat station. Furious over the 12567 Saharsa Junction–Patna Junction Rajya Rani Express's refusal to give way to the trespassers or stop for them, a mob set fire to the engine and severely damaged railway property
See also
Rajdhani Express Shatabdi Express Duronto Express Tejas Express Kavi Guru Express Vivek Express Yuva Express
References