The Rajdhani series of trains were the first of premium class high-speed trains to be pressed into service by IR. The first of these off the track was the 101 (now 12301) Howrah NDLS Rajdhani , which had its maiden run on 1st March, 1967. It covered the distance of 1441 kms in 17 hours at a max. speed of 120 km/h with technical halts at Kanpur, Mughalsarai, and Gomoh.These trains provided two types of accommodation. AC-Sleeper and AC Chair Car. The fare for chair car was probably Rs. 175 at that time but rose to Rs.330 by 1984.
The ACC coaches were like the AC Chair Cars in the present day SHATABDIS and one could not carry heavy luggage like suitcases...
more... in these coaches. These had to be booked on the platform for being carried in special luggage vans against receipts and one had to take delivery of the booked luggage at the destination station on production of the receipt. This entailed a time of at least 30 mns at either end and was found to be irksome. With the advent of 2AC and 3AC coaches, these chair cars were phased out and the system of booking heavy luggage was disbanded. Incidentally, in my memory, the SDAH-NDLS was the only Rajdhani to have an AC Chair Car coach even as late as 2000. I recall travelling with my wife in 1982 to New Delhi by the AC chair car. The journey was uncomfortable and not very conducive to good sleep. But it was fast and economical in comparison to 1AC.
How many of you can remember the old air tickets with their red coloured jackets which are now a relic of the past ? For almost 2 decades after their introduction, the tickets issued by IR for journey by the Howrah and Mumbai Rajdhani Expresses were similar to the air tickets of yore. Glossy, jacket-leaved and and sleek. Alas, the introduction of the computerised reservation system changed it all. Now the ticket for travel by a Rajdhani Express train, whether PRS or e-ticket, is exactly the same as a reserved ticket for a passenger train or Janata Express. I guess technology has its limitations.
Two months after the Howrah Rajdhani was introduced, my late uncle (father’s younger brother) had to undertake an official trip to Delhi and he opted for the Rajdhani. I booked the ticket for him from the booking counter at Fairlie Place in Kolkata and went to Howrah to see him off. It was a proud moment for him as well as for myself.
