Slow and fast passenger trains in India

The country's first passenger train from Western India, which ran between Bombay's (now Mumbai) Bori Bunder station (Now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) and Thane on 16 April 1853, was dedicated by Lord Dalhousie. The 14-carriage train was hauled by three steam locomotives: the Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan. Travelling 34 kilometres (21 mi), the train carried 400 people. The passenger line was built and operated by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR).[2][3]It was built in 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge, which became the country's standard for railways.

Later the country's second passenger train from Eastern India, which ran from Howrah (near Calcutta, now Kolkata) to Hoogly, a distance of 24 miles (39 km), on 15 August 1854. The line was built and operated by the East Indian Railway Company (EIR).[4]

And After that, the country's third passenger train from Southern India, which ran from Royapuram–Veyasarapady (Madras) (now Chennai) to Wallajah Road in Arcot, a distance of 60 miles (97 km), on 1 July 1856. It was built and operated by the Madras Railway.[5]

In 1897 lighting in passenger coaches was introduced by many railway companies. In 1902 the Jodhpur Railway became the first to introduce electric lights as standard fixtures.

Whereas The railway budget has commissioned to the electrification of railway lines in India which also started from Bombay (now Mumbai) to spread all over India with this aim, the first electric passenger train ran from Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) to Kurla on the Harbour Branch of Great Indian Peninsula Railway on 3 February 1925 using 1500 V DC Overhead Traction.[6]

After that, In the year 1957, the First Diesel locomotive WDM-1 was introduced in India for reducing the usage of steam locomotives for goods and passenger transport.[7] and also begins the aim of replacing steam locomotives from Indian Rails after recommendation of Karnail Singh Fuel Committee.[8] And also that, Indian Railways began looking at various diesel-electric designs.

After that 1994, The Integral Coach Factory started production of DMU's and MEMU's with aim of this for connecting minor railway stations and stops on the mainline where most express trains don't have a halt. After productions of both series, the first MEMU train was started running between Asansol and Burdwan (now Barddhaman) on 11 July 1994.[9] And later, the first DEMU train was started running between Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur on 23 October 1994.[10]

On 15 July 2017, The new type of Solar-Powered DEMU train was launched on the route of Delhi Sarai Rohilla and Farrukhnagar of Haryana for connecting Capital of India to the small town with the aim reducing the usage of diesel and more usage of electricity for a better environment and economically.[11]

With the aim of connecting small towns and cities to another, this type of trains has an important priority to Indian Railways network. Mostly these trains are unreserved coaches, for short-distance unreserved seating coaches are used and for the long-distance unreserved sleeper and seating coaches are used. Passenger trains are classified into four types:

• Slow passenger trains are slow ordinary passenger trains in India. They stop at every station on the route, except abandoned ones.
• Fast passenger trains are fast ordinary passenger trains in India. They skip some stops on the route, mostly less-booked ones.
• Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) are also comes in passenger trains of India. Stops at every station of the electrified and non-electrified route.
• Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) are also comes in passenger trains of India. Stops at every station only of the electrified route for connecting suburban and rural areas.

In some cases, trains run as fast passengers on one section, while running as slow passengers on another section. Fast passenger trains generally run on longer routes as compared to slow passenger trains.

Mostly, the number of slow and fast passenger trains has an average trip up to 300km of distance on the other hand DEMU's and MEMU's have an average trip of more than 200km of distance.

The Interiors of Passenger trains are as shown below:

• 
  Right side corridor way of Inside unreserved passenger train
• 
  Upper Rack of Inside unreserved passenger train
• 
  Side Window Seat of Inside unreserved passenger train
• 
  Window, Middle and Aisle Seats of Inside unreserved passenger train
• 
  Left side corridor way of Inside unreserved passenger train
• 
  Lights and Fans of Inside unreserved passenger train
• 
  Another coach with wooden Seats of Inside unreserved passenger train
• 
  Seating unreserved coach of Inside unreserved passenger train

Currently, The longest route of a slow passenger train running in India is Tatanagar-Itwari Passenger (numbered 58111/58112) with a record distance of 887 km (551 mi) with an average speed of 35 km/h (22 mph).[16]

Whereas, The longest route of a fast passenger train running in India is Howrah–Rajgir Fast Passenger (numbered 53043/53044) with a record distance of 658 km (409 mi) with an average speed of 28 km/h (17 mph).[17]

Whereas after the second conversion of Slow Passenger train into DEMU, on 18 July 2018, the Guntur–Kacheguda DEMU via Dhone (with numbered 77281 / 77282) becomes the longest distance traveling DEMU train in India with a record distance of 623 km (387 mi) with an average speed of 35 km/h (22 mph).[18] Before that, the first conversion of Slow Passenger train into DEMU, was on 1 October 2015, the Jodhpur–Hisar DEMU (with numbered 74835/74836) becomes the Second longest DEMU train running in India with the recorded length of 470 km (290 mi) with an average speed of 38 km/h (24 mph).[19]

And Currently, The Longest route running MEMU train in India is Asansol-Varanasi MEMU (numbered 63553/63554) with a record distance of 481 km (299 mi) with an average speed of 31 km/h (19 mph).[20]

Currently, The shortest route of a slow passenger train in India is Barkakana-Sidhwar Passenger (numbered 53375 / 53376) with a record distance of 6 km (3.7 mi) with an average speed of 18 km/h (11 mph).[21]

The shortest route of DEMU train in India is Garhi Harsaru-Farrukhnagar DEMU (numbered 74031/34 & 74035/38) with a record distance of 11 km (6.8 mi) with an average speed of 27 km/h (17 mph).[22]

The shortest route of MEMU train in India is Jasidih-Baidyanathdham MEMU (numbered 63153/63154) with a record distance of 6 km (3.7 mi) with an average speed of 19 km/h (12 mph).[23]

• 
  Bodhan-Mahboobnagar passenger at Alwal railway station
• 
  Delta passenger (Secunderabad-Repalle) at Bibinagar railway station
• 
  Durg-Visakhapatnam passenger at Simhachalam railway station
• 
  Guntur-Kacheguda passenger at Kachiguda railway station
• 
  Nizamabad-Kacheguda passenger at Malkajgiri railway station
• 
  Rayagada-Vijayawada passenger near Vizianagaram railway station

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Slow and fast passenger trains in India.

• High-speed rail in India
• Express trains in India
• MEMU
• Suburban trains

• Time Table of Slow and Fast Passenger Trains
• Time Table of Diesel Electric Multiple Unit Trains (DEMU)
• Time Table of Mainline Electric Multiple Unit Trains (MEMU)