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Through India, Government of India and Wi-Fi
History
In 1960, the Railway Board of India commissioned a study to increase the speed of its trains, which was restricted to 96 km/h (60 mph) on the existent broad gauge lines. A target of 160 km/h (99 mph) with an intermediate stage of 120 km/h (75 mph) was set for passenger trains. Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) started work on the same in 1962 with field trials commencing in 1967. The coaches were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory at Madras and hauled by diesel locomotives.
On 19 February 1969, the Government of India introduced a new express train capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) as announced in the railway budget. On 1 March 1969, the first Rajdhani Express with nine coaches was flagged off from New Delhi to Howrah with the return journey commencing on 3 March. The train completed the 1,450 km (900 mi) trip in 17 hours 20 minutes and was the only such train in operation till 1972, when the second Rajdhani was introduced from Mumbai.
Rajdhani, derived from the Sanskrit means "capital" and later, with subsequent up-gradation of the tracks, new Rajdhani expresses were introduced connecting major cities with the capital New Delhi.
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Rake
Rajdhani trains have fully air-conditioned coaches that have to be reserved in advance. While the trains initially had chair car coaches, now the trains exclusively have sleeper coaches in three configurations: first class, two-tier and three-tier. The first class has dedicated coupes, two-tier has open bays containing six berths per bay (four berths in two tiers and two on the side of the aisle) with curtains and three-tier has open bays containing eight berths per bay (six berths in two tiers and two berths on the side of the aisle). The coaches were exclusively manufactured by Integral Coach Factory at Chennai till 2006, when LHB coaches manufactured by Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala were introduced. As of 2018, each train-set costs ₹75 crore (US$7.8 million). While the trains are capable of running at higher speeds, the maximum speed is often limited to 130 km/h (81 mph) with the fastest Rajdhani permitted to reach a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph) and average speeds being much lesser due to traffic congestion and lack of supporting tracks. earlier some Rajdhani Express trains run by diesel locomotives WDM-2 , WDM-3A , WDM-3D and WDP-4/4D or a WDP-3A now the Rajdhani express trains are usually hauled by WAP-7 and WAP-5 electric locomotives.
Tejas-Rajdhani express
In July 2021, Indian railways started upgrading the coaches of Rajdhani express to new Tejas coaches with enhanced features. These coaches are equipped with newer air suspensions, bio-toilets, Wi-Fi, fire alarms, CCTVs, reading lights, dedicated power sockets, automatic doors, passenger information system, improved interior and designed exterior. The trains which are equipped with all new coaches are known as "Tejas Rajdhani" express. Indian Railways plans to introduce Tejas coaches across all Rajdhani trains in a phased manner.
Facilities
The trains are amongst the premium services operated by Indian Railways and regularly gets a higher priority on the railway network. Passengers are served optional meals by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the menu of which could include morning tea, breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner depending on the duration and timing. These trains have fewer halts than other express trains with stoppages only at prominent stations. Dynamic pricing is applicable on fares across all Rajdhani trains.
Services
As of 13 September, 2025, there are currently 26 operational pairs (excluding special services) of ordinary Rajdhani Express, including seven with Tejas-Rajdhani rakes:
Trivia
- The Bilaspur Rajdhani Express is the First Rajdhani Express in India that undergoes loco reversal, which happens at Nagpur Junction railway station.
- The First Rajdhani Express to operate from Anand Vihar Terminal railway station is 20501/20502 Agartala Tejas Rajdhani Express.
- The Second Rajdhani Express to operate from Anand Vihar Terminal railway station is the 20507/20508 Sairang Rajdhani Express. This is also the Second Rajdhani Express in India that undergo loco reversal, which happens at Badarpur Railway Station at Assam.
- 12301/12302 Howrah Rajdhani used to take 16 hrs 50 mins to cover the 1,451 kilometres (902 mi) distance running at 86.22 kilometres per hour (53.57 mph) speed in period from 2006–2016. The train was slowed down by 20 mins due to safety and operational reasons.
- 12951/52 Mumbai Rajdhani is the First Rajdhani Express in India which received LHB coach in late 2003.
- Only Kolkata, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Dibrugarh currently has three pairs of end to end (E2E) Rajdhani Express Service.
Accidents and incidents
- On 9 September 2002, at least 140 people were killed when the Howrah–New Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed near Rafiganj, Bihar due to sabotage by Naxalites.
- On 27 October 2009, Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was hijacked by hundreds of armed activists of the Maoist-backed People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) who forced the train to stop at Banshtala near Jhargram in West Midnapore district of West Bengal and demanded the release of Chhatradhar Mahato. The Maoists fled on the arrival of Central Reserve Police Force and all passengers were rescued without any casualties.
- On 18 April 2011, three coaches of Mumbai Rajdhani Express caught fire, including the pantry car, at 2:20 hrs at Thuriya near Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. Three coaches were written off but there were no casualties.
- On 25 June 2014, at least four passengers were killed and eight injured when the Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express derailed at Goldin Ganj near Chhapra, Bihar in suspected sabotage by Maoists.
- On 7 September 2017, Ranchi Rajdhani Express derailed at New Delhi railway station. No one was injured in the incident.
- On 14 September 2017, Jammu Tawi Rajdhani Express derailed at the New Delhi railway station when entering the platform. No one was injured.
- On 18 October 2018, two coaches of Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express derailed at the staffed level crossing near Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh when a speeding truck collided with train due to brake failure. There were no injuries to the passengers in the train, but the truck driver was killed due to the collision. The train continued the journey after a delay of seven hours.
- On 3 April 2019, two coaches of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express uncoupled on the Kathajodi River bridge near Cuttack in Odisha. The train was halted and there were no casualties.
- On 11 May 2019, a fire broke out at the generator car of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani near Balasore in Odisha. There were no casualties and the train continued its journey after a delay of two hours.
- On 20 December 2025, the Sairang-Anand Vihar Terminal Rajdhani Express in Assam's Lumding division hit a herd of elephants which were crossing the railway tracks. Five coaches, including the engine, were derailed. Seven elephants were killed, and one was injured. However, no passengers were injured.
- On 17 May 2026, a fire broke out in the B1 coach and the adjacent generator car of the Thiruvananthapuram–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express between Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations under the Kota Division of West Central Railway in Madhya Pradesh, approximately 110 kilometres from Ratlam. The fire spread rapidly, engulfing the AC three-tier coach and the adjoining generator car in massive flames that were visible from a considerable distance. Railway authorities halted the train and safely evacuated passengers, and no casualties or injuries were reported.
In popular culture
Being one of the most popular trains in India, the train's name featured as a title of a Bollywood movie, Rajdhani Express. A Bollywood movie titled The Burning Train featuring Dharmendra, Jeetendra and Vinod Khanna.