Five top train rides of 2016

The lumbering Indian Railways gained momentum in 2016 with several new trains, many of them India had for the first time. These luxury and high-speed trains are expected to set the stage for a revamp of the entire sector in coming years.

Here are these five new trains that will lead the change passengers have been waiting for long:



1) Humsafar Express

The Humsafar, which targets the middle-class passengers, will be an exclusively 3 AC train with many facilities. Equipped with coffee/tea/soup vending machines, hot and refrigerated pantry and other features such as Khadi linens and waste baskets in each cabin, the first 22-coach Humsafar Express has a dynamic fare system.


Some of the special features are CCTV, GPS-based passenger information system, fire-and-smoke detection and suppression system, and mobile and laptop charging points. The train runs between Delhi and Gorakhpur.

2) Gatimaan Express


The country's first semi-high-speed train, Gatimaan runs at a speed of 160 kmph. It has bio-toilets, a GPS-passenger information service, automatic sliding doors in coaches and an entertainment system. The menu is an eclectic mix of Spanish omelette, dates-and-walnut cake, wheat upma, Kanjeevaram idli, aloo kulcha, mini dosa, chicken rolls and Swiss rolls, all served stylishly on chinaware. The train has two executive AC chair cars and eight regular ones. The fare for an AC chair car seat is Rs 750 and the double for an executive car seat. It runs between Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin station and Agra Cantonment station through the week, except on Fridays.

Also Read: Seven cheers for the railway passengers this year

3) Tiger Express

This is the first semi-luxury train to run on a tourist circuit with a dining car, bathrooms with showers and a small library. It offers a tourist package that includes accommodation in air-conditioned hotels of three star or equivalent rank for three nights, sightseeing, meals, inter-city transfers and travel insurance. The five-days-six-nights trip includes three tiger safaris. The tourist train will take passengers to the world-famous Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks in Madhya Pradesh. It has started its regular run from October. The train will carry 100 persons per trip. The tariff for the entire trip starts from Rs 38,500. The cost for the AC first-class package ranges from Rs 39,500 to Rs 49,500. For AC 2-tier, it ranges from Rs 33,500 to Rs 43,500. An additional Rs 4,000 are charged for safari from foreign tourists.

4) Talgo



This lightweight train manufactured by a Spanish firm, Talgo, is all set to reduce the distance between Delhi and Mumbai to 12 hours from 17 at present. The super-fast train can hit 200 kmph and is much faster than Gatimaan Express. The nine-coach train comprises two executive-class cars, four chair cars, a cafeteria, a power car and a tail-end coach for staff and equipment. Talgo's chair car can seat 36 passengers and the executive one 18 passengers.


5) Mahamana Express

Mahamana Express, running thrice-a-week between New Delhi and Varanasi via Lucknow, boasts of state-of-the-art amenities. It covers the distance in less than 14 hours. The coaches are equipped with features such as controlled discharged water tap, new toilet modules, exhaust fans, LED lights and snack tables for side berth passengers. It is equipped with fire-retardation materials. This is also the first train to have a seamless run on electric traction from Varanasi to New Delhi. The basic fare is 15 per cent higher than that of the regular mail and express trains.