Slow and fast passenger trains in India

Passenger train services of Indian Railways

Slow and fast passenger trains in India

Malda Town–Azimganj Passenger Train

Overview
Service type| Connecting various states of India
Status| Operating
First service| 16 April 1853; 171 years ago (1853-04-16)
Current operator(s)| Indian Railways
Website| http://indianrail.gov.in
On-board services
Class(es)| Unreserved Seating & Unreserved Sleeper
Seating arrangements| Yes
Sleeping arrangements| Yes
Catering facilities| On-board catering
Baggage facilities| Underseat
Technical
Rolling stock| ICF rakes
Track gauge| 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Operating speed| Maximum 40–80 km/h (25–50 mph)
Track owner(s)| Indian Railways

The Slow and fast passenger trains are passenger train services of Indian Railways which connect small towns and cities to metropolitan cities in India.[1] The classification Passenger means it is an ordinary passenger train which halts at all or most of the stations on the railway routes. Currently, a total of 3572 passenger trains are running of all railway zones of Indian Railways.

## History

[edit]

The country's first passenger train ran in Western India between Bombay Bori Bunder (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) and Thane on 16 April 1853. The 14-carriage train was hauled by three steam locomotives: the Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan. Travelling 34 kilometres (21 mi), the train carried 400 people. The line was built and operated by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR).[2] It was built in 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge, which became the country's standard for railways. First passenger train from Eastern India, ran from Howrah (near Calcutta, now Kolkata) to Hoogly, a distance of 24 miles (39 km), on 15 August 1854. The line was built and operated by the East Indian Railway Company (EIR).[3] First passenger train from Southern India, ran from Royapuram–Veyasarapady (Madras) (now Chennai) to Wallajah Road in Arcot, a distance of 60 miles (97 km), on 1 July 1856. It was built and operated by the Madras Railway.[4]

First electric passenger train in the country, ran from Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) to Kurla on the Harbour Branch of Great Indian Peninsula Railway on 3 February 1925 using 1500 V DC overhead traction.[5] In 1957, the first diesel passenger train ran in the country.[6][7]

In 1993, the Integral Coach Factory started production of EMU's DMU's and MEMU's. After productions of both series, the first MEMU train started running between Asansol and Burdwan (now Barddhaman) on 11 July 1994.[8] And later, the first DEMU train was started running between Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur on 23 October 1994.[9] On 15 July 2017, a solar-powered DEMU train was launched on the route of Delhi Sarai Rohilla and Farrukhnagar of Haryana for connecting the capital of India to the small towns with the aim of reducing the usage of diesel and more usage of electricity for a better environment and economically.[10]

## Types

[edit]

Trains are classified into four types:

* Slow passenger train: Locomotive-hauled. Stop at every station on the route, except abandoned ones.
* Fast passenger train: Locomotive-hauled. Skip some stops on the route, usually least-booked ones.
* Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU): Multiple Units. Stop at every station on the route.
* Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU): Multiple Units. Stop at every station on the route. Will replace locomotive-hauled trains on electrified routes.[11]

In some cases, trains run as fast passengers on one section, while running as slow passengers on another section. Fast passenger trains generally run on longer routes as compared to slow passenger trains. These trains have unreserved coaches, for short-distance unreserved seating coaches are used and for long-distance both unreserved sleeper and seating coaches are used.

The slow and fast passenger trains are usually hauled by locomotives such as WAM-4, WAG-5, WAG-7, for electrified routes and WDM-2 for non-electrified/semi-electrified routes. On the other hand, the DEMUs and MEMUs are multiple units, have cabs at both ends, resulting in quicker turnaround times, reduced crewing costs, and enhanced safety. So, IR is progressively replacing all locomotive-hauled slow and fast passenger and intercity trains with DEMUs and MEMUs, starting from North Western Railway zone on 1 October 2015.[12][13][14][15]

Further information: Multiple_unit § Comparison_to_locomotive-hauled_trains

## Trivia

[edit]

Longest-running

Currently, the longest route of a slow passenger train running in India is Tatanagar–Itwari Passenger (numbered 58111/58112) with a record distance of 887 km (551 mi) with an average speed of 35 km/h (22 mph).[16]

Whereas, the longest route of a fast passenger train running in India is Howrah–Rajgir Fast Passenger (numbered 53043/53044) with a record distance of 658 km (409 mi) with an average speed of 28 km/h (17 mph).[17]

Whereas after the second conversion of Slow Passenger train into DEMU, on 18 July 2018, the Guntur–Kacheguda DEMU via Dhone (with numbered 77281 / 77282) becomes the longest distance traveling DEMU train in India with a record distance of 623 km (387 mi) with an average speed of 35 km/h (22 mph).[18] Before that, the first conversion of Slow Passenger train into DEMU, was on 1 October 2015, the Jodhpur–Hisar DEMU (with numbered 74835/74836) becomes the second-longest DEMU train running in India with the recorded length of 470 km (290 mi) with an average speed of 38 km/h (24 mph).[19]

And currently, the longest route running MEMU train in India is Asansol–Varanasi MEMU (numbered 63553/63554) with a record distance of 481 km (299 mi) with an average speed of 31 km/h (19 mph).[20]

Shortest-running

Currently, the shortest route of a slow passenger train in India is Barkakana–Sidhwar Passenger (numbered 53375 / 53376) with a record distance of 6 km (3.7 mi) with an average speed of 18 km/h (11 mph).[21]

The shortest route of DEMU train in India is Garhi Harsaru–Farrukhnagar DEMU (numbered 74031/34 & 74035/38) with a record distance of 11 km (6.8 mi) with an average speed of 27 km/h (17 mph).[22]

The shortest route of MEMU train in India is Jasidih–Baidyanathdham MEMU (numbered 63153/63154) with a record distance of 6 km (3.7 mi) with an average speed of 19 km/h (12 mph).[23]

## Gallery

[edit]

Exteriors

* Kacheguda–Bodhan slow passenger train

* Secunderabad–Repalle fast passenger train

* An old DEMU train

* An old DHMU train

* An aerodynamic-designed DEMU train

* An old MEMU train

Interiors

* Window, middle and aisle seats of inside unreserved passenger train

* Side Window Seat of inside unreserved passenger train

* Right side corridor way of inside unreserved passenger train

* Left side corridor way of inside unreserved passenger train

* Upper Rack of inside unreserved passenger train

* Lights and fans of inside unreserved passenger train

* Seating unreserved coach of inside unreserved passenger train

## See also

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Slow and fast passenger trains in India.

* High-speed rail in India
* Express trains in India
* MEMU
* Suburban trains

## References

[edit]

1. ^ walkthroughindia.com, Retrieved 14 July 2020
2. ^ "164 Years Ago On This Day, India's First Train Ran From Mumbai To Thane". 16 April 2017.
3. ^ "Indian Railways FAQ: IR History: Early Days – 1". IRFCA.
4. ^ "Legacy of First Railway Station of South India". RailNews Media India Ltd.
5. ^ core.indianrailways.gov.com, retrieved 7 July 2020
6. ^ "IRFCA".
7. ^ "Report of the expert Committee on Coal Consumption on Railways, 1958". INDIAN CULTURE. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
8. ^ irfca.org, Retrieved 7 July 2020
9. ^ indianexpress.com, Retrieved 7 July 2020
10. ^ jagranjosh.com, Retrieved 7 July 2020
11. ^ "Railways to replace all general class passenger trains with self-propelled carriages to raise speed".
12. ^ North Western Railway, Retrieved 9 July 2020
13. ^ North Western Railway, Retrieved 9 July 2020
14. ^ North Western Railway, Retrieved 9 July 2020
15. ^ North Western Railway, Retrieved 9 July 2020
16. ^ naidunia.com, Retrieved 12 July 2020
17. ^ jagran.com, Retrieved 12 July 2020
18. ^ South Central Railway, Retrieved 7 July 2020
19. ^ North Western Railway, Retrieved 8 July 2020
20. ^ Eastern Railways, Retrieved 10 July 2020
21. ^ livehindustan.com, Retrieved 12 July 2020
22. ^ india.com, Retrieved 12 July 2020
23. ^ bhaskar.com, Retrieved 12 July 2020

## External links

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* Time Table of Slow and Fast Passenger Trains
* Time Table of Diesel Electric Multiple Unit Trains (DEMU)
* Time Table of Mainline Electric Multiple Unit Trains (MEMU)

* v
* t
* e

Indian Railways

Authority|

* Ministry of Railways
* Rail Bhavan
* Railway Board

Related
organisations|

* Central Organisation for Modernisation of Workshops (COFMOW)
* Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE)
* Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)
* Commission of Railway Safety (CRS)
* Container Corporation of India (CCI)
* Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL)
* High Speed Rail Corporation of India Limited (HSRI)
* Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)
* Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC)
* Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC)
* Ircon International (IRCON)
* Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC)
* Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC)
* National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL)
* Passenger Amenities Committee (PAC)
* Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES)
* Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA)
* Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL)
* RailTel
* Railway Protection Force (RPF)
* Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRCB)
* Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB)
* Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO)

Zones|

* Central
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* Eastern
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* North Central
* North Eastern
* North Western
* Northeast Frontier
* Northern
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* South Coast
* South East Central
* South Eastern
* South Western
* Southern
* West Central
* Western

Rolling stock|

| Coaching Stock|

* ICF coach
* LHB coach
* Tejas coach

|

Trainsets|

* Amrit Bharat
* Multiple units
* Shinkansen
* Vande Bharat
* Vande Bharat Sleeper

* Locomotives
* Wagon Numbering

Manufacturing
units|

* Banaras Locomotive Works
* BEML Limited
* Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
* Bharat Wagon and Engineering
* Braithwaite & Co.
* Burn Standard Company
* Chittaranjan Locomotive Works
* Diesel Locomotive Factory
* Electric Locomotive Factory
* Integral Coach Factory
* Marathwada Rail Coach Factory
* Modern Coach Factory
* Patiala Locomotive Works
* Rail Coach Factory (Kapurthala)
* Rail Coach Factory (Sonipat)
* Rail Wheel Factory
* Rail Wheel Plant
* Titagarh Wagons

Railway
depots|

| Diesel Loco|

* Abu Road
* Alambagh
* Andal
* Bandra
* Bardhaman
* Bhagat Ki Kothi
* Bokaro Steel City
* Bondamunda
* Coonoor
* Ernakulam
* Erode
* Gandhidham
* Golden Rock
* Gonda
* Gooty
* Guntakal
* Howrah
* Hubli
* Itarsi
* Izzatnagar
* Jamalpur
* Jhansi
* Kalka
* Kalyan
* Kazipet
* Kharagpur
* Krishnarajapuram
* Kurla
* Ludhiana
* Lumding
* Malda Town
* Maula Ali
* Mhow
* Motibagh
* Mughalsarai
* New Guwahati City
* New Katani
* Patratu
* Pratapnagar
* Pune
* Raipur
* Ratlam
* Sabarmati
* Samastipur
* Shakurbasti
* Siliguri
* Tondiarpet
* Tughlakabad
* Vatva
* Vijayawada
* Visakhapatnam

|

Electric Loco|

* Ajni
* Angul
* Arakkonam
* Asansol
* Barauni
* Bhilai
* Bhusawal
* Bilaspur
* Bokaro Steel City
* Bondamunda
* Erode
* Ghaziabad
* Gomoh
* Gorakhpur
* Guntakal
* Howrah
* Ispat Nagar
* Itarsi
* Jhansi
* Kalyan
* Kanpur
* Katni
* Kazipet
* Khanalampura
* Lallaguda
* Ludhiana
* Mughalsarai
* Nagpur
* Rourkela
* Royapuram
* Saharanpur
* Saiyedpur Bhitri
* Tatanagar
* Tughlakabad
* Vadodara
* Valsad
* Vijayawada
* Visakhapatnam

Steam Loco|

* Coonoor
* Rewari

Multiple Unit|

| DEMU/DMU|

* Bangalore
* Budgam
* Gondia
* Jalandhar
* Jamalpur
* Motibagh
* Maula Ali
* Shakurbasti
* Vijayawada

|

EMU|

* Avadi
* Bandel
* Barasat
* Ghaziabad
* Howrah
* Kalwa
* Kandivali
* Kharagpur
* Kurla
* Maula Ali
* Mumbai Central
* Narkeldanga
* Panskura
* Ranaghat
* Saharanpur
* Sanpada
* Sonarpur
* Tambaram
* Tikiapara
* Velachery
* Virar

MEMU|

* Asansol
* Bhilai
* Kanpur
* Kollam
* Palakkad
* Rajahmundry
* Vadodara

Kolkata Metro|

* Noapara
* Tollygunge
* New Garia
* Central Park
* Joka

Lines|

| Main|

* Chennai–Bangalore
* Howrah–Prayagraj–Mumbai
* Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai
* Howrah–Chennai
* Howrah–Delhi
* Howrah–Gaya–Delhi
* Mumbai–Chennai
* New Delhi–Chennai
* New Delhi–Mumbai

|

High-speed|

* Mumbai–Ahmedabad (Under construction)

Suburban|

* Chennai MRTS
* Chennai Suburban
* Delhi Suburban
* Pune Suburban
* Hyderabad MMTS
* Kolkata Suburban
* Mumbai Suburban

Mountain|

* Darjeeling
* Kalka-Shimla
* Nilgiri

Passenger
trains|

| Semi-High speed|

* Amrit Bharat Express
* Duronto Express
* Gatimaan Express
* Tejas Express
* Rajdhani Express
* Shatabdi Express
* Vande Bharat Express

|

Premium|

* AC Express
* AC Double Decker Express
* Humsafar Express
* Uday Express

Express|

* Antyodaya Express
* Garib Rath Express
* Intercity Express
* Jan Sadharan Express
* Jan Shatabdi Express
* Mahamana Express
* Sampark Kranti Express
* Suvidha Express
* Rajya Rani Express
* Vivek Express
* Yuva Express

Luxury|

* Deccan Odyssey
* Fairy Queen
* Golden Chariot
* Mahaparinirvan Express
* Maharajas' Express
* Palace on Wheels
* Ramayana Express
* Royal Orient
* Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
* Village on Wheels

Special|

* Lifeline Express
* Red Ribbon Express
* Science Express

Others|

* Passenger trains
* Namo Bharat Rapid Rail

Stations|

| Major|

| Chennai|

* Chennai Central
* Chennai Egmore
* Tambaram

|

Delhi|

* Delhi Jn.
* Hazrat Nizamuddin
* New Delhi

Kolkata|

* Howrah
* Howrah South
* Sealdah

Mumbai|

* Dadar
* Kalyan Jn.
* Mumbai Central
* Mumbai CSMT
* Mumbai LTT
* Panvel

Others|

* Ahmedabad Jn.
* Gorakhpur Jn.
* KSR Bengaluru
* Patna Jn.
* Pune Jn.
* Secunderabad Jn.
* Surat
* Thane
* Vijayawada Jn.
* Visakhapatnam Jn.

Others|

* Junctions
* Metro

Training
institutes|

* Indian Railways Institute of Civil Engineering (IRICEN)
* Indian Railways Institute of Electrical Engineering (IRICEE)
* Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE)
* Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET)
* Indian Railways Track Machine Training Centre (IRTMTC)
* National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR)
* National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI)
* Jagjivan Ram Railway Protection Force Academy (JRRPFA)

Trade unions|

* All India Railwaymen's Federation (AIRF)
* All India Station Masters' Association (AISMA)
* Konkan Railway Corporation Employees Union (KRCEU)

Related articles|

* Accidents
* Anti-collision device
* Kavach
* Future
* Diamond Quadrilateral
* History of Rail Transport
* Last vehicle board
* Railway budget
* Railway schools
* Train Warning System
* Urban Rail Transit

* Category

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