Rajya Rani Express
Rajya Rani trains (Sanskrit: राज्यरानी एक्सप्रेस) are a series of express trains operated by Indian Railways to connect state capitals with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business.
History
The word "Rajya" means "kingdom"[1] and the word "Rani" means Queen[2] in Sanskrit and several Indian languages. The first Rajya Rani train was announced by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in Railway Budget 2011.[3] The first service was flagged off on 1 July 2011 between Mysore and Bangalore by K. H. Muniyappa, Minister of State for Railways.[4] The next service was started on the same day from Dadar in Mumbai to Sawantvadi.[5] The train was named after Maharani Gayatri Devi, former princess of the state of Cooch Behar, Maharani of Jaipur.[6] She was one of the world's 10 most beautiful women on the Vogue list.[7] She shares space with the likes of Rabindranath Tagore (Kavi Guru Express) and Swami Vivekananda (Vivek Express) as the railways has named a series of trains as Rajya Rani Expresses to honour the late Rajmata of Jaipur.
Thiruvananthapuram – Nilambur Road Rajya Rani express links to Amritha Express (Palghat Town - Trivandrum Central) at Shoranur Junction.
Rajya Rani routes
Pair | Train No | Type | Sector | Route | State | Distance (km) | Zone | Frequency | Running Since |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16557 - 16558 | Express | Mysore – Bangalore | Mandya, Ramanagaram | Karnataka | 139 | SWR | Daily[8] | 01-Jul-2011 |
2 | 11003 - 11004 | Express | Dadar – Sawantvadi | Roha, Ratnagiri | Maharashtra | 646 | CR | Daily[9] | 01-Jul-2011 |
3 | 22861 - 22862 | Superfast | Shalimar – Bankura | Kharagpur, Midnapore | West Bengal | 229 | SER | Tri-Weekly | 01-Oct-2011 |
4 | 22161 - 22162 | Superfast | Bhopal – Damoh | Vidisha, Bina | Madhya Pradesh | 291 | WCR | Daily | 12-Nov-2011 |
5 | 16349 - 16350 | Express | Trivandrum – Nilambur Road | Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur | Kerala | 393 | SR | Daily | 16-Nov-2011 |
6 | 18417 - 18418 | Express | Rourkela – Bhubaneswar | Cuttack, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda | Orissa | 341 | ECoR | Tri-Weekly | 16-Nov-2011 |
7 | 18417 - 18418 | Express | Dhubri – Silghat | Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Jogighopa | Assam | 460 | NFR | Tri-Weekly | 14-Feb-2012 |
8 | 22453 - 22454 | Superfast | Lucknow – Meerut | Bareilly, Moradabad, Hapur | Uttar Pradesh | 459 | NR | Daily | 11-Mar-2012 |
9 | 22101 - 22102 | Superfast | Mumbai LTT – Manmad | Kalyan, Nasik Road | Maharashtra | 242 | CR | Daily | 12-Mar-2012 |
Other route
The other train announced in the Budget on 25 February 2011 by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is:
See also
References
- ^ Tamilcube.com: rajya, Tamil Cube, September 9, 2011.
- ^ Tamilcube.com: rajya, Tamil Cube, March 10, 2012.
- ^ Headlines Today Bureau: 10 new Rajya Rani Express trains announced., Headlines Today Bureau, February 25, 2011.
- ^ Day in Pics, TOI: Rajya Rani Express inaugurated., [Times of India, Jul 2, 2011.
- ^ Press Release: Introduction of Dadar-Sawantwadi Rajya Rani Express, Central Railway, June 23, 2011.
- ^ Jayanta Gupta, TNN: Trains in honour of Gayatri Devi., Times of India,Jul 1, 2011.
- ^ Wikipedia: Gayatri Devi., Wikipedia, August 28, 2011.
- ^ Indiarailinfo: Mysore Bangalore Rajya Rani Express/16557., Indiarailinfo, August 28, 2011.
- ^ Indiarailinfo: Dadar Sawantwadi Rajya Rani Express/11003., Indiarailinfo, August 28, 2011.
- ^ Equity Bulls: Rajya Rani Express to Connect State Capitals With Important Cities of Those States., Equity Bulls, February 25, 2011.