Central Railway celebrated the 6th anniversary of its CSMT-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express with fanfare, along with its esteemed passengers, Railfans, Train staff, coaching depot staff, and other CR employees. Rail enthusiasts from different parts of the country joined this celebration at the time of departure from CSMT on 19th Jan, 2025.

Central Railway’s 22221/22222 Rajdhani Express, introduced on 19.01.2019 between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Hazrat Nizamuddin, was run with one First AC, three AC 2-Tier, eight AC 3-Tier, and one pantry car. The train got such a huge response that within less than a month of its launch, two additional AC-2Tier and AC-3Tier coaches were added.

The train started as a Bi-weekly service, and services were increased to four times a week from 13.09.2019. On the 2nd anniversary, i.e., from 19.01.2021 onwards, the train services were extended to daily.

CR’s Rajdhani Express has the distinction of being India’s first train to run on Push-Pull technology, empowering the Government’s “Mission Raftar,” thus achieving another milestone in railway history. The Push-Pull mode involves running the train with one engine at the front and one at the rear, thereby eliminating the need to attach-detach bankers in the ghat section, saving precious time and reducing journey time.

Presently, this train leaves Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai at 16:00 hrs daily and arrives at Hazrat Nizamuddin at 09:55 hrs the next day, stopping at Kalyan, Nashik Road, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Bhopal, Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi, Gwalior, and Agra Cantt. In the return direction, it leaves Hazrat Nizamuddin at 16:55 hrs daily and arrives at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai at 11:15 hrs the next day.

This iconic Rajdhani Express symbolizes the progress of Indian Railways, delivering speed, comfort, and reliability to passengers while setting benchmarks in operational excellence.

Source/CR