Types of Indian Railways Trains

The rail journey in India came into existence in 1853 with the first train running 21 miles from Mumbai to Thane with 14 railway coaches and 400 honored guests. Ever since, Indian Railways has progressed drastically, and today it is the vital means of transport, carrying over 30 million passengers and 3 million tons of freight across the country every day. The Indian Railways network is the largest rail network in Asia and the second largest in the world under one management.

The Indian rail network is one of the largest and busiest in the world. Nearly 10,000 trains are running on a daily basis to connect twenty-eight states and two union territories. The rail connectivity to the capital cities of the North East states of Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh is progressing, and in the coming years, we can see full-fledged connectivity to every part of the country. The complex network of the railway is managed by dividing it into different zones and subdividing it into divisions.

Today, the railway has seventeen zones and sixty-eight divisions, which link to the urban and rural areas of the nation. It operates on a multi-gauge system: broad, narrow, and meter gauges. It is the world's largest commercial employer, with over 1.5 million employees. Besides the long-distance trains, many cities have a suburban rail network that serves commuters.

The trains offer different classes of travel: AC first-class, air-conditioned coaches, which are 2-tier or 3-tier, First Class, the Sleeper Class, AC Chair Car/Seater Class, and General or Unreserved. The fare list varies according to the facilities provided. Trains are the most reliable and fastest means of transport, at affordable rates. Some of the fastest trains in India are the Shatabdi Express, Rajdhani Express, and Duronto Express, which compete with the low-cost airlines of the country. Every year, the railway takes up safety measures and introduces new trains in different regions to accommodate the growing number of passengers.

The rail journeys are always exciting and truly an experience of the rich tradition and culture of India. Almost 70% of the income for the railway is contributed by the freight sector. It transports all kinds of goods like fertilizers, petrochemicals, agricultural produce, mineral ores, and many more. It also transports vehicles to any long-distance destination.

Indian Railways has been extremely successful in contributing to the growth of the tourism sector. It has been an overwhelming host for all the visitors. The luxurious trains in India are Deccan Odyssey, Maharaja Express, Palace on Wheels, The Golden Chariot, Royal Orient Train, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, and Fairy Queen, which is the pride of India and holds a record for being the oldest working locomotive in the world. You can expect an amazing royal treat on board with a blend of Indian heritage and hospitality. The best way to explore incredible India is by rail.

Different Types of Trains in India

There are many types of trains that are operated by Indian railways, and we are going to give you information about those trains over here.

Special Trains

Special trains are not permanent, as they were launched on a temporary basis just to handle the huge traffic during the summer holiday and festival season. Special Trains numbers start with zero digits.

COVID-19 Special Trains

COVID-19 Special Trains were introduced by Indian railways during the pandemic to carry passengers stuck in the cities to their native places. Indian Railways had suspended all the regular trains to avoid the risk of spreading COVID-19 but started COVID-19 special trains to serve passengers. A ticket for these trains can be booked 120 days in advance.

Train 18: Vande Bharat Express

Vande Bharat Express is a semi-high-speed, fully air-conditioned daytime train with the capability of running at the utmost speed of 200 km/h. It's also known as Train 18, which started its operations on February 15, 2019. These trains offer various modern facilities, such as odor control systems, sensor-based water taps, bottle holders, on-board Wi-Fi, CCTV cameras, and bio-toilets.

Humsafar Express

Humsafar Express is a premium train with AC 3-tier and sleeper-class accommodations. Humsafar trains are equipped with all the modern facilities, including CCTV surveillance, charging ports, bio-toilets, an advanced GPS tracking system, reading lights, LED screens that display passing stations and train speed, etc.

Rajdhani Express

The Rajdhani Express is one of the oldest trains operated by Indian Railways and connects the national capital to various other states of the country. It's a fully air-conditioned superfast long-distance train that runs at a top speed of 130–140 km/h. At present, there are 24 pairs of Rajdhani trains running in the country.

Shatabdi Express

Shatabdi Express trains are superfast daytime trains that complete their journey on the same day. The Shatabdi trains run at a top speed of 150 km/h. It operates for short to medium distances with limited stops. It provides only an AC chair-car seating facility. As of now, 25 pairs of Shatabdi trains are operated by Indian Railways.

Tejas Express

Tejas Express trains are semi-high-speed air-conditioned chair car trains. It has only two classes of travel, which are executive chair cars (EC) and AC chair cars (CC). It's India's first private train, which is operated by IRCTC. It can run at a maximum speed of 200 km/h. It has several modern onboard facilities, such as tea and coffee vending machines, an LED TV for the individual traveler, a celebrity chef menu, free Wi-Fi, CCTV cameras, charging sockets, etc.

Duronto Express

The Duronto Express is known as the fastest train in our country. It's a nonstop premium long-distance train that doesn't halt at any station during the journey except at the technical spots.

Antyodaya Express

Antyodaya Express started its operations on March 4, 2017. These trains are completely unreserved and run on crowded routes to ease congestion. You don't need to reserve a ticket in advance; buy the ticket whenever you want to board the train.

Passenger Trains

Passenger trains offer economical train travel to Indian train passengers. It connects small towns, villages, and cities to metropolitan cities. Passenger trains halt at almost every station on the route and can run at a maximum speed of 40–80 km/h.

Garib Rath Express

Garib Rath Express Trains are a series of economical, air-conditioned long-distance trains that offer train travel at an affordable fare. Passengers get AC chair car seating only as there are no berths in Garib Rath trains. These trains run at a top speed of 130 km/h.

Double Decker Express

Double Decker Express trains are superfast express trains for daytime travel that offer bi-level seating accommodations to Indian train passengers.

Uday Express

Uday Express trains are fully air-conditioned double-decker trains for business travelers, with a seating capacity of 120 per coach. The Uday Express can run at a top speed of 110 km/h.

Jan Shatabdi Express

The Jan Shatabdi Express trains are a more affordable version of the Shatabdi Express. It runs at a top speed of 130 km/h, and like Shatabdi, it also completes its journey on the same day. Jan Shatabdi trains offer AC and non-AC seating facilities.

Sampark Kranti Express

Sampark Kranti Express trains are non-AC high-speed express trains that connect the capital of India to other major cities in the country. It runs at a top speed of 130 km/h and stops at major stations only.

Suvidha Express

Suvidha Express is a series of premium express trains that follow dynamic fare pricing. You can book the tickets for these trains only through IRCTC. The advance reservation period for Suvidha trains is 15 days, and only confirmed tickets will be booked. You are not allowed to cancel your e-tickets.

AC Express

AC Express trains are completely air-conditioned high-speed trains that connect various important cities in the country. It takes limited stops and can run at a top speed of 130 km/h.

Mail Express Trains

Express and mail trains halt at only major stations; unlike passenger trains, they don't stop at all the stations on the route. Express trains can run at a speed of 130 km/h.

Superfast Express

Superfast trains make fewer stoppages than ordinary passenger trains. Superfast trains can run at the maximum permissible speed of 160 km/h. The superfast surcharge will be added to the tickets for these trains.

AC Superfast Trains

AC Superfast Trains are completely air-conditioned rail services operated by the Indian Railway. These trains have the highest priority over the regular passenger and mail trains on the tracks. It doesn't halt at the smaller stations in order to reduce the travel time. Passengers will get the bedroll for free when traveling with AC Superfast.

Mountain Railways

The Mountain Railways of India are the train lines that were built in the hilly region of India and provide train services to the mountain areas. There are seven mountain railways in our country, and three of them are declared world heritage by UNESCO.

Mumbai Local

The Mumbai Suburban Railway, also known as Mumbai Local Train, is one of the busiest EMU railway networks in the world. It operates approximately 2350 trains and carries more than 8 million commuters on a daily basis.

Chennai Local Train

The Chennai Suburban Railway is the third-busiest commuter rail system after Mumbai and Kolkata. Chennai Local Train operates around 1,000 train services a day.

Kolkata Local Trains

The Kolkata Suburban Railway is a commuter rail system that operates almost 1500 train services and serves more than 3.5 million passengers on a daily basis. Kolkata Local Trains serves the metropolitan area of the city and is the largest railway network in India.

Hyderabad MMTS

The Hyderabad MMTS is a commuter rail system that serves almost 2.5 lakh passengers on a daily basis. Hyderabad suburban rail service started its operation on August 9, 2003.

Pune Local Trains

The Pune Suburban Railway, also known as Pune Local, is a commuter rail system that connects suburbs to the semi-urban and rural areas of Pune. Pune Local carries around 1 lakh commuters on a daily basis and is controlled by the Central Railway.

Demu Trains

DEMU trains are widely used by passengers who travel on a daily basis in semi-urban and rural areas of India.

Delhi Local Trains

Delhi Suburban Railway, also known as Delhi Local Trains, is a commuter rail service operated by the Northern Railway of India. It uses the tracks of long-distance trains and provides its service in Delhi as well as adjoining districts of the capital.

MEMU Trains

MEMU trains use multiple electrical units for operating on railway tracks, and they serve short and medium-distance routes.