Deccan Queen, Indian Railways’ first deluxe train between Mumbai and Pune, has completed 93 years of service on Thursday, June 1. Deccan Queen, which is also known as Dakkhan Ki Rani, was introduced on June 1, 1930. The train was billed to be a major landmark in the history of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway.
The Deccan Queen was the first deluxe train service of the Indian Railways which was introduced to run between Mumbai and Pune. It was aptly named “Queen of Deccan” (that means Dakkhan ki Rani).
In the beginning, the Decan Queen was featured with seven coaches with first and second class bandwagons only. The third class was, however, introduced in the year of 1955. First class was stamped out on January 1, 1949 and second class was upgraded as first class and third class was later redesigned as second class in April 1974.
In 1966, the coaches of the Deccan Queen were replaced with anti-telescopic and steel-bodied integral bogies. An improved design of bogies with improvement in interior furnishings was incorporated to give better comfort to railway passengers. The distinctive colour of cream and Oxford blue with a red band above the window level accentuates the aesthetic beauty of the DEccan Queen.
The train is fitted with modern pantry facilities such as toaster, deep freezer, and microwave oven. Its dining car, well furnished with cushioned chairs and carpets, gives table service for 32 passengers, reported IE.
