The Deccan Queen, which connects Mumbai and Pune, was introduced in 1930 on this same day! It is the first superfast train that offers daily passenger service. In Marathi, Maharashtra’s official language, the train is called ‘Deccan chi Rani’! Today, the train completed 93 years of service and it was celebrated in style! Take a look at India’s first luxury train celebrating its birthday.
Deccan Queen Completes 93 Years Of Service!
भारतीय रेल्वेची महाराणी असलेली दख्खनची राणी अर्थात डेक्कन क्वीन! महाराष्ट्राची सांस्कृतिक राजधानी पुणे आणि देशाची आर्थिक राजधानी मुंबईला रेल्वे मार्गाने जोडणाऱ्या प्रवाशांच्या लाडक्या ‘दख्खनच्या राणी’ने ९४ व्या वर्षात पदार्पण केले आहे. त्यानिमित्त पुणे रेल्वेस्थानकात डेक्कन… pic.twitter.com/VgJrehVwJz
— Chandrakant Patil (@ChDadaPatil) June 1, 2023
The Deccan Queen is a superfast special train that runs between Pune and Mumbai as a shuttle. It may be the only train in the nation whose birthday is observed by commuters each year. Regular customers cut a cake at the platform before the train left for Mumbai to the beat of Dhol Tasha on Thursday morning to mark the iconic train’s 93rd birthday in the presence of Chandrakant Patil, the Guardian Minister for the Pune District.
The commuter group Railway Pravasi Sangh commemorates the beginning of the train on June 1, 1930, by holding an annual celebration. The birthday was celebrated without the rake in Mumbai in 2020 due to the pandemic.
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India’s First Luxury Train
The Deccan Queen’s history basically represents the narrative of two cities. The railway has evolved over the previous 92 years of its colourful history from a simple mode of transit between cities to an institution that binds generations of fiercely devoted passengers.
This was the first deluxe train to be added to the railway system, and it was suitably called “Queen of Deccan” (Dakkhan ki Rani), after the Pune city. It served two significant cities in the region.
The train arrived with two rakes of seven coaches, one of which was painted royal blue with gold lines and the other silver with scarlet mouldings. The coach bodies of the original rakes’ coaches were constructed in the GIP Railway’s Matunga Workshop while their under frames were constructed in England. Only first-class and second-class accommodations were available at first.
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The third class was initially introduced on this train in June 1955 after the first class was dissolved on January 1st, 1949, and the second class was redesigned as the first class.
Cover Image Courtesy: Pushkar Khamitkar/ Twitter