Shatabdi Express trains are a series of fast (called superfast in India) passenger trains operated by Indian Railways to connect Metro cities with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business. Shatabdi Express are day-trains and they return to the station of origin the same day.

The Shatabdis along with The Rajdhani and the Duronto are among the fastest trains in India and the Indian Railways consider Rajdhani and Shatabdi as prestigious. The Shatabdi Expresses get second highest priority, after Rajdhani Expresses which get the highest priority.

Shathabdi Express Loco Cab Ride : Inside WAP 7 at 130 KMPH [VIDEO]

Video – GLIMPSE OF INDIAN RAILWAYS

Enjoy the locomotive ride of Howrah WAP 7 30300 with Ranchi Shatabdi at 130 kmph blasting all the way from Howrah to Asansol.

The Shatabdi Express trains run over short to medium distances while the Rajdhani Expresses and the Duronto Expresses are long-distance trains. Rajdhani Expresses connect the nation’s capital New Delhi to capitals of states and other major cities while Duronto Expresses connect major cities to other major cities.

All three series of trains have a maximum speed of about 120 km/h (75 mph). The 12001 Bhopal Shatabdi express, however, runs at a peak speed of 155 km/h (96 mph), which makes it the third fastest train in India after the Gatimaan Express and Train 18.

The name “Shatabdi” means centenary in Sanskrit. The first Shatabdi Express train was introduced in 1988, by then Railways Minister Madhavrao Scindia to commemorate the birth centenary of Jawahar Lal Nehru the first Prime Minister of India, between New Delhi and Jhansi Junction.

Shatabdi Express trains offer fast connectivity with only a few intermediate stops. They are fully air-conditioned and of a much higher standard than most Indian trains. Shatabdi travelers are provided with bottled water, juice, coffee or tea, and meals relevant to time of day of the journey.

Shatabdi trains are also further distinguished from other trains, in terms of convenience in boarding and disembarking. Most stations give them priority berthing at the better platforms, such as ones located close to the station building or waiting halls (generally platform number 1 at most of the stations).

Berths and seats in Shatabdi Express, Duronto Express and Rajdhani Express trains have to be reserved in advance before boarding the train. There is no unreserved accommodation in these trains, unlike most of the other trains in India. A few Shatabdis have a current booking system where tickets can be booked within a couple of hours before departure.

As Shatabdi Express are day-trains and return to the station of origin the same day, coaches (AC Chair Car) on the train have only seats and not berths. All the Shatabdi Express trains have, however, one or two coaches of Executive Class seating. Recently, Indian Railways have started offering Anubhuti Class seating also. These coaches have wider leg room and offer better food compared to the normal Air conditioned seating (CC).

New on board entertainment systems have also been installed on some of these trains where the passengers can view movies and television serials directly via satellite. One of the first services to have this system is the Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express.

Source – Wikipedia.

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