The Gatimaan Express, referred to as a semi-high-speed locomotive, made the Delhi-Agra journey in a matter of 100 minutes in its very first run, clocking a speed of 160 km/hr on the way. Its closest competitor, the Bhopal Shatabadi, is known to hit speeds of 150 km/hr. That train, it is worth pointing out, made its first run way back in 1998.
With a 5,400 horse power electric locomotive, the non-stop train will ply on all days except Friday. It will roll out at 8.10 am from Hazrat Nizamuddin and 5.50 pm from Agra Cantonment. Railways is hoping that the speed, coupled with a number of customer based tweaks – larger windows and entertainment options – will justify its higher fares, which stand at Rs 750 and Executive Class is Rs 1,500.
Although it's a far cry from actual high-speed rail – which presumes speeds of at least 200 km/hr – this video from a level-crossing along the Gatimaan Express' route does demonstrate the relative speed of the train, especially when we're much more used to sights like the tepid race between these two passenger trains.
In the video, the Gujarat Mail, already running an hour late, catches up with a 2 hour late-running Saurashtra Janata Express somewhere near Jogeshwari Station in the Mumbai suburbs of Western Railway.
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