Trains Rajdhani Express Complete Guide
Rajdhani Express – Complete RRB Exam Guide
(Category: Premium Mail/Express – Indian Railways)
1. What is Rajdhani Express?
- Introduced on: 1 March 1969 (1st train: Howrah–New Delhi)
- Purpose: Country’s first fully air-conditioned, high-speed, long-distance Mail/Express connecting National Capital (Delhi) with State capitals / major cities
- Name meaning: “Capital” in Hindi
- Flagship of: Rajdhani class (next only to Shatabdi & Duronto in hierarchy)
- Present network: 26 pairs (52 trains) as on 31.03.2024
- Average speed (excluding halts): 85-135 km/h; Technical max.: 140 km/h (capable coaches 160 km/h)
- Ticket fare structure: Dynamic + Rajdhani surcharge (₹45-₹75) + Superfast surcharge (₹45) + GST on food
- Catering: Mandatory – included in fare (no “without-catering” option)
- Priority: No. 1 in sectional precedence (even above Shatabdi)
- Coach colour: Red-Grey (new LHB) / Red-cream (old ICF)
- Loco: Fully electric; primarily WAP-7 (passenger) & WAP-5; earlier WAP-4/WAM-4
2. Quick-Fire Statistics for RRB
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Longest run | 2249 km – Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani (12431/32) |
| Shortest run | 1384 km – Dibrugarh Rajdhani (20503/04) |
| Fastest average | 88 km/h – Mumbai Rajdhani (12951/52) |
| Slowest average | 65 km/h – Dibrugarh Rajdhani (20505/06) |
| Fastest single run | 15 h 35 m – 12952 Mumbai–NDLS |
| Longest time-table | 42 h 30 m – 20506 Dibrugarh–NDLS |
| Longest non-stop | 528 km – Vadodara–Kota (Mumbai Raj.) |
| Max. permissible speed (MPS) | 140 km/h (track & coach certified) |
| First Rajdhani to get Vistadome coach | 20503/04 Dibrugarh–NDLS (2022) |
| First Rajdhani to be PM Modi flagged | 2014 – Patna–New Delhi (12309/10) |
| First Rajdhani with HOG (Head-on-Generation) | 12301/02 Howrah–NDLS (2018) |
| First Rajdhani to run on 100% renewable energy | Mumbai Rajdhani (2021 – traction + hotel load) |
3. Zonal-wise Rajdhani Express List (As on 31.03.2024)
| S. No. | Train No. (Up/Down) | Name | Zone | Distance (km) | Time (h) | Halts | Avg. Speed (km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12301/02 | Howrah–New Delhi | ER | 1450 | 17 h 00 m | 6 | 85 |
| 2 | 12305/06 | Howrah–New Delhi (via Patna) | ER | 1532 | 19 h 55 m | 8 | 77 |
| 3 | 12309/10 | Patna–New Delhi | ECR | 999 | 12 h 45 m | 5 | 78 |
| 4 | 12313/14 | Sealdah–New Delhi | ER | 1458 | 17 h 40 m | 7 | 82 |
| 5 | 12423/24 | Dibrugarh–New Delhi (Rajdhani Express) | NFR | 2346 | 39 h 50 m | 21 | 59 |
| 6 | 12425/26 | Jammu Tawi–New Delhi | NR | 577 | 9 h 10 m | 4 | 63 |
| 7 | 12431/32 | Thiruvananthapuram–NZM | WR | 2845 | 41 h 15 m | 19 | 69 |
| 8 | 12433/34 | Chennai–NZM | SR | 2175 | 28 h 25 m | 9 | 76 |
| 9 | 12435/36 | Dibrugarh–New Delhi (2nd pair) | NFR | 2346 | 40 h 10 m | 22 | 58 |
| 10 | 12437/38 | Secunderabad–NZM | SCR | 1661 | 21 h 50 m | 6 | 76 |
| 11 | 12439/40 | Ranchi–New Delhi | SER | 1244 | 16 h 55 m | 5 | 73 |
| 12 | 12441/42 | Bilaspur–NZM | SECR | 1505 | 20 h 45 m | 8 | 72 |
| 13 | 12443/44 | Bhubaneswar–New Delhi | ECoR | 1720 | 22 h 50 m | 9 | 75 |
| 14 | 12951/52 | Mumbai Central–NDLS | WR | 1386 | 15 h 35 m | 6 | 89 |
| 15 | 12953/54 | August Kranti Rajdhani | WR | 1378 | 16 h 55 m | 11 | 81 |
| 16 | 20501/02 | Agartala–Anand Vihar | NFR | 2426 | 39 h 00 m | 15 | 62 |
| 17 | 20503/04 | Dibrugarh–New Delhi (Vistadome) | NFR | 2346 | 38 h 50 m | 19 | 60 |
| 18 | 20505/06 | Dibrugarh–New Delhi (3rd pair) | NFR | 2346 | 42 h 30 m | 25 | 55 |
| 19 | 20839/40 | Ranchi–New Delhi (via Bokaro) | SER | 1309 | 18 h 10 m | 6 | 72 |
| 20 | 20845/46 | Bhubaneswar–New Delhi (2nd pair) | ECoR | 1914 | 24 h 20 m | 10 | 78 |
| 21 | 22413/14 | Madgaon–NZM | KR/SWR | 1909 | 27 h 10 m | 10 | 70 |
| 22 | 22691/92 | Bengaluru–NZM | SWR | 2367 | 33 h 15 m | 15 | 71 |
| 23 | 22811/12 | Bhubaneswar–New Delhi (3rd pair) | ECoR | 1720 | 22 h 25 m | 8 | 77 |
| 24 | 22823/24 | Bhubaneswar–New Delhi (4th pair) | ECoR | 1720 | 23 h 00 m | 9 | 75 |
| 25 | 22913/14 | Bandra T–NZM (Maharashtra Raj) | WR | 1367 | 18 h 45 m | 7 | 73 |
| 26 | 12303/04 | Poorva Express (earlier Rajdhani slip) | ER | 1529 | – | – | – |
Note: Trains 20501-06 are New-Generation Rajdhani (hybrid, using LHB & Vistadome).
4. Coach Composition (Standard LHB Rajdhani)
| Coach Code | Qty | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| EOG | 2 | End-on-Generator (power car) |
| H1 | 1 | First AC (24 berths) |
| A1-A4 | 4 | Second AC (72 berths) |
| B1-B10 | 10 | Third AC (640 berths) |
| PC | 2 | Pantry Car |
| Total | 21 | ~736 berths |
- Vistadome added in 20503/04 (replaces one B coach)
- HOG trains now carry only one EOG (2nd converted to parcel van)
5. Fare Calculation (Base + Rajdhani Elements)
| Class | Base fare | Rajdhani surcharge | Superfast | Catering | GST* | Example (1000 km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3A | ₹845 | +₹75 | +₹45 | +₹294 | +18% | ₹1490 |
| 2A | ₹1475 | +₹75 | +₹45 | +₹294 | +18% | ₹2285 |
| 1A | ₹2520 | +₹75 | +₹45 | +₹294 | +18% | ₹3485 |
*GST on catering component only
6. Facilities & Features (RRB Favourite Points)
- Fully AC – no sleeper class
- Bed-rolls provided free (blanket, pillow, bedsheet, hand-towel)
- On-board menu: Morning tea, breakfast, lunch, evening tea, dinner (fixed menu)
- Crew: Train Superintendent (TS), 4-5 AC TTEs, 2 catering managers, RPF escort
- Security: CCTV in all coaches (since 2021)
- Wi-Fi: Available (Jio-rail) in most Rajdhani
- Priority: Train No. 12951/52 gets highest sectional precedence in WR/NR
- Traction: 100% electric; HOG saves ~21 lakh litres diesel/year for 12301/02 alone
7. Common RRB Question Bank (with One-liner Answers)
- Which year Rajdhani Express introduced? – 1969
- First Rajdhani ran between? – Howrah & New Delhi
- Longest Rajdhani? – Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani (2845 km)
- Fastest Rajdhani? – Mumbai Rajdhani (88 km/h avg)
- Which state has maximum Rajdhani? – Assam (3 pairs)
- Mandatory feature? – Catering included in fare
- Max permissible speed? – 140 km/h
- Present coach colour? – Red-Grey (LHB)
- Which loco hauls Rajdhani? – WAP-7 / WAP-5
- First Vistadome Rajdhani? – 20503/04 Dibrugarh–NDLS
- HOG means? – Head-on-Generation
- Train having highest precedence? – 12951/52 Mumbai Rajdhani
- Rajdhani surcharge? – ₹75 (1A/2A), ₹45 (3A)
- Total berths in standard Rajdhani? – ~736
- Which zone has no Rajdhani terminal? – CR (Central Railway)
8. 15 MCQs for RRB (NTPC, Group-D, ALP, JE)
(Choose the correct option)
In which year was the first Rajdhani Express flagged off?
A. 1959 B. 1967 C. 1969 D. 1972
Ans: CThe longest Rajdhani Express runs between:
A. Mumbai–NDLS B. Trivandrum–NZM C. Chennai–NZM D. Dibrugarh–NDLS
Ans: BWhat is the maximum permissible speed of Rajdhani coaches?
A. 130 km/h B. 140 km/h C. 150 km/h D. 160 km/h
Ans: BWhich of the following is NOT mandatory on Rajdhani?
A. Pantry Car B. Sleeper Class C. AC coaches D. Catering
Ans: BWhich train has the highest sectional precedence?
A. 12002 Bhopal Shatabdi B. 12952 Mumbai Rajdhani C. 12280 Taj Express D. 12301 Howrah Raj
Ans: BFirst Rajdhani to be fitted with Vistadome coach is:
A. 12301/02 B. 20503/04 C. 12423/24 D. 22691/92
Ans: BRajdhani surcharge for 3AC is:
A. ₹30 B. ₹45 C. ₹60 D. ₹75
Ans: BWhich locomotive class primarily hauls Rajdhani?
A. WDG-4 B. WAP-7 C. WAG-9 D. WDP-4
Ans: BThe fastest average speed among Rajdhani is approx:
A. 65 km/h B. 78 km/h C. 88 km/h D. 95 km/h
Ans: CHow many pairs of Rajdhani are presently running?
A. 22 B. 24 C. 26 D. 28
Ans: CWhich state is connected by maximum number of Rajdhani trains?
A. Maharashtra B. West Bengal C. Assam D. Odisha
Ans: CThe colour scheme of new LHB Rajdhani rake is:
A. Blue-Grey B. Red-Grey C. Green-Cream D. Yellow-Blue
Ans: BHOG technology in Rajdhani saves:
A. Diesel only B. Power car noise C. Both diesel & power-car noise D. None
Ans: CWhich Rajdhani covers the longest non-stop run?
A. 12951 Mumbai B. 12301 Howrah C. 12431 Trivandrum D. 12309 Patna
Ans: A (Vadodara–Kota 528 km)The number of First AC coaches (H1) in a standard Rajdhani is:
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
Ans: A
9. Last-Minute Revision Cheat-Sheet
- 1969 – Birth year
- 26 pairs – Total
- Trivandrum – Longest
- Mumbai – Fastest
- Red-Grey – LHB colour
- WAP-7 – Loco
- 140 km/h – MPS
- Catering compulsory – No opt-out
- HOG – Head-on-Generation
- Vistadome – Dibrugarh Rajdhani 1st
Revise → Attempt → Crack!
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