Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express

Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express is a Rajdhani Express train starting from Bhubaneswar, the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha to the final destination of New Delhi, which serves as the capital of India. Currently, there are three dedicated sets of rakes operating from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi. This is 2nd Rajdhani Train which is having 3 dedicated routes after Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express.

Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express
Overview
Service typeRajdhani Express
LocaleOdisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh & Delhi
First service1 April 1994 (1 April 1994)
Current operator(s)East Coast Railways
Route
TerminiBhubaneswar (BBS)
New Delhi (NDLS)
Stops10 (22811/22812)
10 (20817/20818)
9 (22823/22824)
Distance travelled1,914 km (1,189 mi) (20817/20818),
1,730 km (1,075 mi) (22811/22812),
1,802 km (1,120 mi) (22823/22824)
Average journey time27hrs 35mins (20817/20818),

23hrs 10mins (22811/22812),

25hrs 15mins (22823/22824)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)22811 / 22812
22823 / 22824
20817 / 20818
On-board services
Class(es)AC First Class (1A)
AC Two Tier (2A)
AC 3 Tier
Seating arrangementsYes
Sleeping arrangementsYes
Catering facilitiesPantry car
On-board catering
E-catering
Observation facilitiesLarge windows
Baggage facilitiesYes
Technical
Rolling stockLHB coach
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed75 km/h (47 mph) average including halts

History
  • 1st set of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was introduced on 1994–95 Rail Budget by C. K. Jaffer Sharief (Former Minister of Railways) as a weekly frequency train.[1] Later the service was increased to bi-weekly after public demand in 1998. It used to get WAP-4 locomotive from Ghaziabad shed (NDLS–HWH) & Santragachi shed (HWH–BBS) [2] and also changed its route to Adra Instead of bypassing Howrah in 2002.[3]
  • 2nd set of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was introduced on 2003 by Nitish Kumar (Former Minister of Railways) as a bi-weekly frequency train.[4] Later in 2004 the frequency of this train are increased to 4 days in a week.[5]
  • Later, 3rd set of Bhubansewar Rajdhani Express was inaugurated on 10 February 2018, was flagged off by Piyush Goyal (Minister of Railways) as a weekly frequency train which bypasses through Sambalpur.[6]

Routes

The three sets of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express runs on three different routes:

  • 1st set of train number 22811/12 runs through Adra with total distance of 1730 km in length with average speed of 75 km/hr.[7]
Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Balasore, Hijli, Bankura, Adra, Gaya, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn, Kanpur, New Delhi.
  • 2nd set of train number 22823/24 runs through Tatanagar with total distance of 1802 km in length with average speed of 73 km/hr.[8]
Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kharagpur, Tatanagar, Bokaro Steel City, Gaya, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn, Kanpur, New Delhi.
  • 3rd set of train number 20817/18 runs through Sambalpur with total distance of 1910 km in length with average speed of 71 km/hr.[9]
Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Chakradharpur, Anara, Gaya, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn, Kanpur, New Delhi.
On December 2020, Stoppage at Prayagraj was given to Bhubaneswar Rajdhani[10]

Overview

This train is fully air conditioned and has an AC Hot Buffet car to provide both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals during the journey. The meals are pre-paid along with the ticket, similar to the other Rajdhani Express trains. The train offers three classes of accommodation i.e. AC First Class (1A) with 2-berth and 4-berth couples (with locking facility for privacy), AC Two Tier (2A) with open bays (4 berths/bay + 2 berths on the other side of the aisle of each bay), provided with curtains for privacy, and AC Three Tier (3A) with open bays (6 berths/bay + 2 berths on the other side of the aisle of each bay) without curtains.

Bhubaneswar Rajdhani's Coaches was painted in Pattachitra and NALCO branding in December 2019.[11]

Traction

The three sets of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express are hauled by Electric Loco Shed, Ghaziabad-based WAP-7 on its entire journey.

Coach composition
20817 Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express at Platform 11 in New delhi.
Bhubaneswar–New Delhi Rajdhani Express at Balasore railway station

The trains use modern LHB coach (deployed in 2009) consisting of 1 AC First Class coach (1A), 2 AC Two Tier coaches (2A), 11 AC Three Tier coaches (3A), 1 AC Hot Buffet car (Pantry car) and 2 Luggage/Parcel cum Generator cum Brake Vans, one of which is provided with the Guards' Cabin.

Rake composition
Loco1234567891011121314151617
LRM1B1B2B3B4B5B6B7B8B9B10B11PCA2A1H1LRM2

Incidents
  • On 27 October 2009, Bhubaneswar Rajdhani was hijacked by Maoists and later train was taken over by Security Forces no damage to life happened.[12]
  • On 3 Apr 2019, two coaches of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani uncoupled on the river bridge which is 2.5 km away from Cuttack immediately the loco pilot stopped the train, no casualties reported.[13]
  • On 11 May 2019, a fire broke out at Generator Car of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani nearby Balasore, immediately railway staffs kept fire in under control, no casualties reported.[14]

References
  1. "Rail Budget 1994-95" (PDF). Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  2. Rail Budget 1997-98, Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  3. Rail Budget 2002-03, Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  4. Rail Budget 2003-04, Retrieved 26 May 2019
  5. "Rail Budget 2009-10" (PDF). Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  6. Economic Times, Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  7. India Rail Info, Retrieved 26 May 2019
  8. India Rail Info, Retrieved 26 May 2019
  9. India Rail Info, Retrieved 26 May 2019
  10. East Coast Railway [@EastCoastRail] (30 December 2020). ".@RailMinIndia It has been decided to run Bhubaneswar-New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express Trains on revised timings. For the convenience of the passengers, it has also been decided to provide stoppages at these Special Trains at Prayagraj Station @DRMKhurdaRoad @DRMSambalpur t.co/qHAoozUkt8" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2021 – via Twitter.
  11. East Coast Railway [@EastCoastRail] (26 December 2019). ".@RailMinIndia Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express with branding by @NALCO_India showcasing Heritage and Culture of Odisha flagged off by Hon'ble Union Minister @dpradhanbjp from Bhubaneswar Railway Station @DRMKhurdaroad t.co/DKmW6UG95t" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 26 December 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2021 – via Twitter.
  12. Sen, Elora (28 October 2009). "Rajdhani blockade over, passengers safe". India Today. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  13. India Times, 3 April 2019, Retrieved 26 May 2019
  14. Business Today, 11 May 2019, Retrieved 26 May 2019
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