Vintage Beauty: India's First Deluxe Train Completes 92 Years On Track

The Deccan Queen Express, India's first train, completed 92 years of service on June 1. The train connects two major cities of Maharashtra, Pune and Mumbai, and was first established on June 1, 1930. The train's journey marked a landmark event in Indian history and emerged as a forerunner of the Central Railways in the great Indian Peninsula. The train was named after the city of Pune, which is often dubbed the queen of Deccan India. Initially, the train had only first-class and second-class coaches for passengers.

Constant Upgradation For Better Passenger Experience

However, the first class was abolished in 1949, and the second class was redesigned as the first class, which served until 1955. In 1955, the third class was introduced in Deccan Queen, which was later redesigned as a second class from 1974 onward. The train was introduced to the public with two rakes of seven coaches, each painted in silver with scarlet mouldings and the other with royal blue with gold lines, NDTV reported. The underframes of the original coaches were built in England, while the rest of the coach bodies were structured in the Matunga Workshop of GIP Railway.

Thorough Improvements By The Indian Railways

In 1966, the original rakes of the train were upgraded with anti-telescopic steel bodies built in the Integral Coach Factory of Perambur. The new coaches had improved design for bogies for better passenger comfort and improvements in the interior and furnishings of the train. The train has constantly changed to provide the best comfort to its passengers.

Deccan Queen was the first train in India to witness coaches with roller bearings, the replacement of end on generation coaches with self-generating coaches with 110 volts system and the introduction of first- and second-class chair cars providing increased accommodation for passengers.

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