Rajya Rani trains are a series of express trains operated by Indian Railways to connect state capitals with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business.

Rajya Rani Express
Mysuru Bengaluru Rajyarani Express, first Rajya Rani Express in India
Overview
Main Operating(s)State capital to important cities in the state
Other Operating(s)Launched in 2011 (Between Bangalore and Mysore)[1][2]
Fleet size10
Parent companyIndian Railways
Dates of operation1 July 2011–

History

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The word "Rajya" means "State"[3] and the word "Rani" means Queen[4] in Sanskrit and several Indian languages. The Rajya Rani trains were announced by the railway minister in railway budget 2011.[5][6] The first Rajya Rani train was started between Mysore and Bangalore by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and was flagged off on 1 July 2011 by K. H. Muniyappa, Minister of State for Railways.[7]

Etymology

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The train was named after Maharani Gayatri Devi, former princess of the state of Cooch Behar, Maharani of Jaipur.[8] She was one of the world's 10 most beautiful women on the Vogue list. She shares space with the likes of Rabindranath Tagore (Kavi Guru Express) and Swami Vivekananda (Vivek Express) as the railways has named a series of trains as Rajya Rani Expresses to honour the late Rajmata of Jaipur.

On 22 May 2017, the Dadar-Sawantwadi Rajya Rani Express was named as "Tutari Express" to mark the centenary of Keshavasuta's famed poem titled "Tutari".[9] [10]

Active Services

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S.No. Train No. Sector[1] Distance (km) Date of introduction[2]
1 20659 / 20660[11][12] Mysore – Bangalore 139 1 July 2011
2 11003 / 11004[13][14] Dadar – Sawantwadi Road 497 1 July 2011
3 22861 / 22862[15] Shalimar – Adra (Canceled)[16] 283 1 Oct 2011
4 22161 / 22162[17][18] Bhopal – Damoh 291 12 Nov 2011
5 16349 / 16350[19][20] Thiruvananthapuram (Kochuveli) – Nilambur Road 443 16 Nov 2011
6 18117 / 18118[21][22] Rourkela – Gunupur 798 16 Nov 2011 (Started between Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Later extended to Gunupur on 20 March 2017)[23]
7 15417 / 15418[24][25] Alipurduar – Silghat 460 14 Feb 2012 (Started between Dhubri and Silghat. Later extended to Gugupur on 1 October 2016)[26]
8 22453 / 22454[27][28] Meerut – Lucknow 459 11 March 2012
9 17611 / 17612[29][30] Nanded – Mumbai CSMT 604 11 March 2012 (Started between Manmad and Mumbai CST. Later extended to Nanded on 10 January 2020)[31]
10 12567 / 12568[32][33] Saharsa – Patna 214 18 March 2012

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Rajya Rani Express to Connect State Capitals With Important Cities of Those States". Government of India. Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  2. ^ a b "New Time Table Comes into Effect from 1st July 2011". Government of India. Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  3. ^ Tamilcube.com: rajya, Tamil Cube, 9 September 2011.
  4. ^ Tamilcube.com: rani, Tamil Cube, 10 March 2012.
  5. ^ Headlines Today Bureau: 10 new Rajya Rani Express trains announced., Headlines Today Bureau, 25 February 2011.
  6. ^ Equity Bulls: Rajya Rani Express to Connect State Capitals With Important Cities of Those States., Equity Bulls, 25 February 2011.
  7. ^ Day in Pics, TOI: Rajya Rani Express inaugurated, Times of India, 2 Jul 2011.
  8. ^ Jayanta Gupta, TNN: Trains in honour of Gayatri Devi., Times of India, 1 July 2011.
  9. ^ "'RajyaRani Express' rechristened as 'Tutari Express'". DNA. PTI. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Press Information Bureau: Government of India news site, PIB Mumbai website, PIB Mumbai, Press Information Bureau, PIB, India's Official media agency, Government of India press releases, PIB photographs, PIB photos, Press Conferences in Mumbai, Union Minister Press Conference, Marathi press releases, PIB features, Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign, Public Information Campaign, Bharat Nirman Campaign, Public Information Campaign, Indian Government press releases, PIB Western Region".
  11. ^ Railfanansh. "20659/Mysuru - KSR Bengaluru Rajya Rani SF Express - Mysore to Bangalore SWR/South Western Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  12. ^ Railfanansh. "20660/KSR Bengaluru - Mysuru Rajya Rani SF Express - Bangalore to Mysore SWR/South Western Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  13. ^ karthik. "11003/Tutari Express (PT) - Dadar to Sawantwadi Road CR/Central Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  14. ^ karthik. "11004/Tutari Express - Sawantwadi Road to Dadar CR/Central Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Railway Permanently Stops These 16 Trains Operating Between Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal". www.india.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  16. ^ "22862X/Adra - Shalimar Rajya Rani Express (UnReserved) - Adra to Kolkata SER/South Eastern Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  17. ^ Singh, Harvinder. "22161/Bhopal - Damoh Rajya Rani SF Express - Bhopal to Damoh WCR/West Central Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  18. ^ Shandilya, Tushar. "22162/Damoh - Bhopal Rajya Rani SF Express - Damoh to Bhopal WCR/West Central Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  19. ^ Anand, Siddharth. "16349/Kochuveli - Nilambur Road Rajya Rani Express (PT) - Kochuveli to Nilambur Road SR/Southern Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  20. ^ Anand, Siddharth. "16350/Nilambur Road - Kochuveli Rajya Rani Express (PT) - Nilambur Road to Kochuveli SR/Southern Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  21. ^ "18117/Rourkela - Gunupur Rajya Rani Express (PT) - Rourkela to Gunupur SER/South Eastern Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  22. ^ Kumar, Vikas. "18118/Gunupur - Rourkela Rajya Rani Express - Gunupur to Rourkela SER/South Eastern Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  23. ^ "Train Timeline - Rourkela - Gunupur Rajya Rani Express (PT)/18117 - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  24. ^ Anand, Siddharth. "15417/Alipurduar Jn - Silghat Town Rajya Rani Express - Alipur Duar to Silghat Town NFR/Northeast Frontier Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  25. ^ Anand, Siddharth. "15418/Silghat Town - Alipurduar Jn. Rajya Rani Express - Silghat Town to Alipur Duar NFR/Northeast Frontier Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Train Timeline - Alipurduar Jn - Silghat Town Rajya Rani Express/15417 - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  27. ^ Yadav, Rohit K. "22453/Lucknow Jn - Meerut City Rajya Rani Express - Lucknow Junction NER to Meerut City NCR/North Central Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  28. ^ Yadav, Rohit K. "22454/Meerut City - Lucknow Jn. Rajya Rani Express - Meerut City to Lucknow Junction NER NCR/North Central Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  29. ^ Harshal11041. "17611/Hazur Sahib Nanded - Mumbai CSMT Rajya Rani Express (PT) - Hazur Sahib Nanded to Mumbai CSM Terminus SCR/South Central Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ Harshal11041. "17612/Mumbai CSMT - Hazur Sahib Nanded Rajya Rani Express - Mumbai CSM Terminus to Hazur Sahib Nanded SCR/South Central Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ "Train Timeline - Hazur Sahib Nanded - Mumbai CSMT Rajya Rani Express (PT)/17611 - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  32. ^ Anand, Siddharth. "12567/Saharsa - Patna Rajya Rani SF Express - Saharsa to Patna ECR/East Central Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  33. ^ Anand, Siddharth. "12568/Patna - Saharsa Rajya Rani SF Express - Patna to Saharsa ECR/East Central Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.