One of the oldest running trains in the country, the Deccan Queen, will run on the tracks between Mumbai and Pune, in an all-new avatar. The Deccan Queen, which recently completed 92 years of service, is amped up with new Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches and a brand-new dining car.
Interestingly, the Deccan Queen, or Dakkhan ki Rani, was named after a city in Pune and was the first train to feature a dining car. Now, the train will make its first trip from Mumbai to Pune with new and revamped coaches and arrive at its destination at around 8:30 pm on Wednesday. It was decided in February that the Deccan Queen will be upgraded and will be given a new design approved by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. The upgrades were sanctioned by the Ministry of Railways.
According to a central railway official, the LHB coaches affixed to the Deccan Queen will provide greater safety and stability to the train. The coaches will also ensure more control and higher speeds. The official added, “The Deccan Queen is one of the oldest trains in the country and this transformation is sure to bring renewed enthusiasm and people will love travelling by it even more,” as reported by The Times of India.
The Central Railways recently shared the visuals of Deccan Queen running with conventional coaches for the last time. “From today, the Queen for Pune will run with LHB coaches,” the caption read.
Watch the clip here:
Deccan Queen entering Mumbai with conventional coaches for the last time today. From today the Queen for Pune will run with LHB coaches. pic.twitter.com/ExOXX62z5H
— Central Railway (@Central_Railway) June 22, 2022
Apart from replacing the Integral Coach Factory coaches, the Railways has also transformed the dining coach in the train. The new dining car will have 10 dining tables with each table having a seating capacity of four people. Each table will be given a panoramic window. The kitchen will serve freshly cooked food and hot drinks along the journey.
The new Deccan Queen will have 15 coaches in totality. This will include four AC chair coaches, eight Second Class chair coaches, one AC dining coach, one Vistadome coach, one Generator coach, and one guard cum brake van.
