A tale of two cities: Deccan Queen turns 95
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Mumbai: Deccan Queen, one of Central Railway's most prestigious and popular trains, turned 95 on Sunday. Introduced between Mumbai and Pune, the two premier cities of Maharashtra, on June 1, 1930, Deccan Queen was a major landmark in the history of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, the forerunner of Central Railway.
This was the first deluxe train introduced on the railway to serve two important cities of the region and was aptly named Deccan Queen or Dakkan ki Rani.
The train has the distinction of having many firsts to its credit. The Deccan Queen is the only running train with the facility of a dining car, which offers table service and has modern pantry facilities such as a microwave oven, deep freezer, and toaster. The dining car is tastefully furnished with cushioned chairs and carpet.
"Coaches with roller bearings were introduced for the first time in this train in the past.
End-on generation coaches were replaced with self-generating coaches with a 110-volt system for the first time. First and second class chair cars were introduced," said CR chief spokesperson Swapnil Nila The Mumbai-Pune Deccan Queen was attached with a Vistadome coach with effect from August 15, 2021, providing passengers a golden opportunity for a wonderful view of the breathtaking scenery as the train traversed through the Western Ghats.
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All the conventional coaches of Deccan Queen Express were replaced with LHB coaches in June 2022 under Project Utkrisht, with modern facilities like LED lights, bio toilets, Braille signages, etc. The train now runs with a revised composition of sixteen coaches: three AC chair cars, nine second class chair cars, one Vistadome coach, one dining car, one general second class cum guard's brake van, and a generator car, said a CR spokesperson.
"It is always a pleasure travelling by this popular train to Pune and also back to Mumbai. In fact, many passengers like me are happy with the punctuality of this train besides the comfort it offers for a pleasant ride," said Sumita Desai, a Mulund resident who travels to Pune regularly as she has a second home there. Additionally, some passengers travel daily from Pune on monthly passes and hold govt and semi-govt jobs in the city.
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