Double Decker Express are a series of trains started by Indian Railways for shorter routes in order to serve more people than a traditional chair car carriage.
| Double Decker Express | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Service type | Superfast |
| System | 7 (AC) + 1 (Non-AC) |
| Status | Operational on 8 routes |
| Locale | Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan |
| First service | 24 August 2012 |
| Successor | Uday Express |
| Current operator(s) | Indian Railways |
| Website | https://indianrail.gov.in |
| Route | |
| Line(s) used | 8 |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | AC Chair Car coaches |
| Seating arrangements | Yes |
| Sleeping arrangements | No |
| Catering facilities | On-board Catering and E-Catering |
| Observation facilities | Large windows in all carriages, Services operated by both state and corporate operators. |
| Entertainment facilities | Electric outlets |
| Baggage facilities | Overhead racks |
| Other facilities | Bio-vacuum toilets Fire & Smoke detection and many more |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | LHB Double Decker |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge |
| Electrification | 25 kV AC at 50 Hz |
| Operating speed | 130 km/h (81 mph) |
The Howrah–Dhanbad Double Decker Express was the first of its type to be introduced.
Rake
editDouble Decker Express are composed of bi-level seating arrangements for passengers with seating capacity of 120 seats,[1] divided into lower deck, upper deck and mezzanine seating area. Stainless steel LHB Coaches built at Kapurthala Coach Factory are utilized for AC Double Decker trains.
AC Double Decker Services
edit| Train no. | Route | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 12931/12932 | Mumbai Central–Ahmedabad Double Decker Express | 491 km |
| 22625/22626 | Chennai–Bangalore Double Decker Express | 359 km |
| 12583/12584 | Lucknow Junction–Anand Vihar Terminal Double Decker Express | 479 km |
| 12985/12986 | Jaipur–Delhi Sarai Rohilla AC Double Decker Express | 304 km |
| 22707/22708 | Visakhapatnam–Tirupati Double Decker Express | 761 km |
UDAY Express
editIn 2018, a new generation of Double Decker Express trains were introduced in Indian Railways named as UDAY Express - Utkrisht Double Decker Air Conditioned Yatri Express trains, designed by RDSO. The coaches of these trains have an anti-graffiti vinyl wrapped exterior and have been given a bright color scheme of yellow, orange and pink - somewhat similar to that of the Tejas Express. The UDAY express was envisioned as a premium train service for business travelers. According to Indian Railways, Uday Express will cater to the "busiest routes" and increase carrying capacity by 40%. These trains have airline styled seating with a capacity of 120 passengers per coach (50 for upper deck, 48 for lower deck and 22 on the ends) as compared to Shatabdis which can seat up to 78.[2][3][4] These coaches are also equipped with WiFi infotainment system, have information screens just like Humsafar Express and have small dining area in coaches. Uday Express can run at a maximum speed of 110 km/h and an average speed of 62 km/h.[citation needed]
Services
editThe first service was launched on 10 June 2018 between Coimbatore Junction and Bangalore[5] having halts at Krishnarajapuram, Kuppam, Salem Jn, Erode Jn, Tiruppur Jn and Coimbatore Jn. The second service was launched on 26 September 2019 between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada with 7 stops en route, and was later extended till Guntur.
| Train no. | Train name | Distance | Frequency | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22665/22666 | KSR Bengaluru–Coimbatore Uday Express | 419 km
Daily |
Daily | Southern Railway zone |
| 22701/22702 | Visakhapatnam–Guntur Uday Express | 384 km | 5 days a week except Thu, Sun | South Coast Railway zone |
Defunct AC Double Decker Services
edit| Train no. | Route | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 11085/11086 & 11099/11100 |
Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Madgaon AC Double Decker Express | 592 km |
| 22185/22186 | Bhopal–Indore AC Double Decker Express | 263 km |
| 22117/22118 | Guntur–Kacheguda AC Double Decker Express | 287 km |
| 22183/22184 | Habibganj–Indore Junction AC Double Decker Express | 259 km |
| 12385/12386 | Howrah–Dhanbad Double Decker Express | 263 km |
| 22119/22110 | Kacheguda–Tirupati Double Decker Express | 636 km |
Non-AC Double Decker Services
edit| Name | Train no. | Route | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai Central–Valsad Fast Passenger | 59023/59024 | Mumbai Central–Valsad | 195 km | The only train which currently gets non-AC double decker coaches in Indian Railways.[6] |
Defunct Non-AC Double Decker Services
edit| Name | Train no. | Route | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinhagad Express | 11009/11010 | Mumbai CSM Terminus–Pune | 192 km | First train to have double deck rake in India.[7] About ten coaches were attached but were removed eventually. |
| Deccan Queen Superfast Express | 12123/12124 | Mumbai CSM Terminus–Pune | 192 km | Used to haul Double Decker bogies during 1980s but were eventually removed.[8] |
| Deccan Express | 11007/11008 | Mumbai CSM Terminus–Pune | 192 km | One or two Double Decker coaches were added. This did not last for long and the coaches were removed. |
| Sahyadri Express | 11023/11024 | Mumbai CSM Terminus – Kolhapur | 518 km | Hauled Double Decker coaches between Mumbai and Pune and vice versa. But today has Single Decker coaches only. |
| Panchvati Express | 12109/12110 | Mumbai CSM Terminus–Manmad | 258 km | This train used to haul Non-AC Double Decker bogies in the 1990s. |
| Mumbai–Pune Passenger | — | Mumbai CSM Terminus–Pune | 192 km | This train used to haul Double Decker bogies. This train has been shut down due to introduction of Mumbai CST–Sainagar Shirdi Fast Passenger / Mumbai CST–Pandharpur Fast Passenger / Mumbai CSMT–Vijapura Fast Passenger. |
| Flying Ranee | 12921/12922 | Mumbai Central–Surat | 263 km | This train lost its double-decker coaches when it was upgraded to run with a new LHB rake in July 2023.[9] |
See also
edit- AC Superfast Express
- Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor
- Vande Bharat Express
- Humsafar Express
- Antyodaya Express
- Uday Express
- Tejas Express
- Mahamana Express
- Gatimaan Express
- Rajdhani Express
- Shatabdi Express
- Jan Shatabdi Express
- Sampark Kranti Express
- Jan Sadharan Express
- Garib Rath Express
- Duronto Express
- Rajya Rani Express
- Kavi Guru Express
- Vivek Express
- Yuva Express
References
edit- ^ "Seat Map of AC Chair Car (Double Decker) : etrain.info". etrain.info. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Humsafar to Uday: With 4 new trains, Prabhu offers solutions to all". www.hindustantimes.com. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ^ "New train: Indian Railways UDAY Express from Coimbatore to Bengaluru soon; boasts of automatic food vending machines and LCD screens". The Financial Express. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ^ "UDAY Express: Indian Railways' new train for business travellers! Sneak-peek into interior; 15 stunning images". The Financial Express. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ^ "Uday Express: Coimbatore-Bengaluru double-decker train to run from June 10 - Decked up". The Economic Times. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ^ Old-timers recollect double-decker days
- ^ "Railway Budget speech 1979-80. First double decker service (page no.373)" (PDF). www.indianrailways.gov.in. Government of India, Ministry of Railways. 20 February 1979.
- ^ "Deccan Queen". Archived from the original on 28 November 2006. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "No more double decker for Flying Ranee, new rake in". The Times of India. 17 July 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 March 2024.