The train is quite a novelty, and hundreds of people gathered at both stations and along the route to watch the train go by to take photos and video. The train’s top speed at present is 100 mph, and it completed the 125-mile journey in 99 minutes. The return journey was one minute shorter. Railway officials have confirmed that the travel time will be cut to 90 minutes once high-speed security railings are completed along the track.
Passengers, such as Ankita Jain, who traveled in one of two Executive AC Chair cars, said the train was a safer alternative to the crowded and polluted Yamuna Expressway, the highway connecting Delhi and Agra. “This was long due. We were waiting for the semi-high speed train which is superior in all sense. At the same time, it is a faster and safe alternative to Yamuna Expressway,” she said.
The train was flagged off at Delhi’s Nizamuddin station by the Union Minister for Railways, Suresh Prabhu, as scores of people gathered to click selfies and wave the train off. Prabhu said the government is committed to increase the speed of all trains across the network to increase the railway’s carrying capacity and make it more competitive. “It is not an easy task. It will take time but we have made a plan,” Prabhu said.
The maiden trip included 211 passengers. The train’s coaches are painted in royal blue and grey with a yellow strip. Train hostesses were also part of the crew who welcomed the passengers aboard, another first for the Indian railways. The train is particularly meant for tourists, visiting the world-famous Taj Mahal, one of the most popular destinations in India. The railways is also planning to bundle a bus service to the Taj from Agra as part of a tour package, in a bid to raise tourism income in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The train will leave Delhi at 8:10 a.m. and arrive at Agra at 9:50 a.m. The train will run every day except Fridays, when the Taj is closed. The train will depart from Agra at 5.50 p.m. and return to Nizamuddin at 7.30 p.m. There will 10 air-conditioned coaches on the train, two of which will be first-class coaches.
The experience has also been enhanced by providing better catering services (offering both Indian and Continental fare), improved interiors, bio-toilets and free multimedia and Internet.
