Trains Shatabdi Express Details

Shatabdi Express – Indian Railways’ Flagship Day-Train Series

(Railway GK for all RRB NTPC, Group-D, ALP, JE exams)

1. Core Facts – Must Remember Capsule

Parameter Data
Introduced on 1st November 1988 (Indian Railways’ centenary year)
Inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi
First Shatabdi New Delhi – Jhansi (later extended to Bhopal) – 404 km
Name meaning “Centenary” (Shatabdi = 100 years)
Train type Superfast (Day-return) chair-car service
Max. Permissible Speed 150 km/h (since 2019, WAP-7 / WAP-5 with HOG)
Average speed (rounded) 70–85 km/h (includes halts)
Distinguishing colour Navy-blue / ivory livery with anti-telescopic ends
On-board meal policy Fare inclusive (no separate catering charges w.e.f. 19.09.2018)
Current fleet (Apr 2024) 25 pairs (50 trains) – 19 by NR, 3 by NER, 2 by SER, 1 by SCR
Longest run 12027/28 MGR Chennai Central – Mysuru Shatabdi – 500 km
Shortest run 12009/10 Mumbai Central – Ahmedabad – 493 km
Highest priority Rajdhani > Shatabdi > Duronto > other Superfast
Traction 100% electric; End-on-Generation (EOG) eliminated; Head-on-Generation (HOG) since 2019

2. Evolution Timeline – Quick Glance

Year Milestone
1988 First Shatabdi (NDLS-Jhansi) flagged off
1992 First non-NDLS Shatabdi: Mumbai-Pune
2001 First South-India Shatabdi: Chennai-Bangalore
2011 First AC Double-decker Shatabdi trial (never regularised)
2016 Wi-fi enabled (first on 12001 Bhopal Shatabdi)
2018 Catering made “optional” → later rolled back; meals again included
2019 Converted to HOG; speed raised to 150 km/h on Tughlakabad-Agra section
2020 All Shatabdi suspended due to COVID; services restored in phased manner
2023 “Amrit” scheme dynamic pricing introduced (flexi fare remains)

3. Salient Features – Bullet Points for Exam Revision

  • Only sitting accommodation – AC Chair Car (CC) & Executive Chair Car (EC).
  • No sleeper / no pantry car; meals loaded on-board through base kitchens.
  • Flexi-fare system since 2016: 10% hike after every 10% berths filled (max 50%).
  • Dynamic “Amrit” pricing on 25% trains since Sept-2023 (similar to airlines).
  • Slip coaches not attached; fully vestibuled LHB rakes.
  • Automatic fire suppression system & bio-toilets standard.
  • Green rating – 5-star by IGBC for Chennai-Mysuru rake (2022).

4. Zone-wise Shatabdi List (as on 01-04-2024) – RRB Favourite

S.N. Train No. Route (Up / Dn) Distance (km) Travel time Zone Rake Maintained at
1 12001/02 NDLS – Bhopal 704 8h 05m NR Bhopal
2 12003/04 NDLS – Lucknow 512 6h 30m NR Lucknow Jn
3 12005/06 NDLS – Kalka 269 4h 10m NR Kalka
4 12009/10 Mumbai Central – Ahmedabad 493 6h 25m WR Mumbai Central
5 12011/12 KLK – New Delhi 269 4h 10m NR Kalka
6 12013/14 NDLS – Amritsar 448 6h 00m NR Amritsar
7 12015/16 NDLS – Ajmer 444 6h 25m NR Ajmer
8 12017/18 NDLS – Dehradun 314 5h 50m NR Dehradun
9 12019/20 Howrah – Ranchi 423 7h 10m SER Howrah
10 12025/26 MGR Chennai – Bengaluru 362 5h 00m SR Chennai Beach
11 12027/28 MGR Chennai – Mysuru 500 7h 00m SR Chennai Beach
12 12029/30 NDLS – Amritsar 448 5h 55m NR Amritsar
13 12031/32 NDLS – Amritsar 448 5h 55m NR Amritsar
14 12033/34 NDLS – Kanpur 437 5h 10m NR Kanpur Central
15 12035/36 NDLS – Agra Cantt 195 2h 10m NR Agra Cantt
16 12037/38 NDLS – Ludhiana 329 4h 30m NR Ludhiana
17 12039/40 NDLS – Kathgodam 282 5h 15m NR Izzatnagar (KGM sick line)
18 12041/42 Howrah – New Jalpaiguri 566 8h 15m NFR Howrah
19 12043/44 NDLS – Moga 398 6h 45m NR Moga
20 12045/46 NDLS – Chandigarh 244 3h 25m NR Chandigarh
21 12047/48 NDLS – Bhatinda 355 5h 50m NR Bhatinda
22 12049/50 Gwalior – NDLS 306 4h 00m NR Gwalior
23 12051/52 Mumbai CST – Madgaon 572 8h 30m KR Mumbai CST
24 12053/54 Haridwar – Amritsar 407 7h 00m NR Amritsar
25 12055/56 DEE – Bandra T 1146 15h 10m NR Delhi Cantt

Note: 12055/56 is the only overnight Shatabdi (day-night-day) and longest.

5. Exam-Friendly Numbers – “Digit Master-List”

  • 150 – Max operational speed (km/h)
  • 25 – Total Shatabdi pairs (2024)
  • 1988 – Inauguration year
  • 404 – Inaugural route length (km) NDLS-Jhansi-BPL
  • 8 – Number of halts (average)
  • 2 – Chair car classes only (CC & EC)
  • 0 – Pantry car; 0 – Slip coaches
  • 100% – LHB coaches; 100% – Bio-toilets; 100% – Electric traction

6. Frequently Asked Q&A (Theory)

Q1. Which was the first Shatabdi Express and when? A: New Delhi – Jhansi Shatabdi on 1 Nov 1988 (later extended to Bhopal).
Q2. Why is the train called “Shatabdi”? A: Introduced in the centenary (100th) year of Indian Railways (1853-1983 celebrations extended to 1988).
Q3. Which Shatabdi has the highest Maximum Permissible Speed? A: All are certified 150 km/h, but **Bhopal Shatabdi (12001/02)** was the **first** to touch 150 km/h on Tughlakabad-Agra stretch.
Q4. Does Shatabdi have sleeper coaches? A: No – only day sitting (AC Chair Car & Executive Chair Car).
Q5. Which is the longest route Shatabdi? A: 12055/56 **DEE – Bandra Terminus** (1146 km, 15 h 10 m).
Q6. Which is the shortest route Shatabdi? A: 12035/36 **New Delhi – Agra Cantt** (195 km, 2 h 10 m).
Q7. Is food served free on Shatabdi? A: Yes – fare is **inclusive of catering** (since Sept 2018 roll-back of optional catering).
Q8. What is the coach composition of a standard Shatabdi? A: **2 EC + 14 CC + 2 EOG (power car)** = 18 LHB coaches (varies 16-20).
Q9. Which Shatabdi runs with **Swarn** rake (upgrade)? A: 12003/04 **NDLS-Lucknow** was the **first Swarn Shatabdi** (2017).
Q10. Which zone operates the maximum number of Shatabdi trains? A: **Northern Railway (19 pairs)**.

7. 15 MCQs – Practice Set

Instructions: Choose the most appropriate option.

  1. The first Shatabdi Express was flagged off between
    A) Mumbai-Pune
    B) New Delhi-Jhansi
    C) Howrah-Ranchi
    D) Chennai-Bangalore
    Ans: B

  2. Shatabdi Expresses were introduced to commemorate
    A) 50 years of Indian Independence
    B) 100 years of Indian Railways
    C) 50 years of Railways in India
    D) Birth centenary of Jawaharlal Nehru
    Ans: B

  3. Maximum permissible speed of Shatabdi trains is
    A) 130 km/h
    B) 140 km/h
    C) 150 km/h
    D) 160 km/h
    Ans: C

  4. Which of the following does NOT belong to Shatabdi features?
    A) AC Chair Car
    B) Flexi-fare
    C) Pantry car
    D) Bio-toilets
    Ans: C

  5. The longest running Shatabdi (distance wise) is
    A) New Delhi-Bhopal
    B) Howrah-Ranchi
    C) Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Bandra
    D) Chennai-Mysuru
    Ans: C

  6. The shortest Shatabdi route is
    A) NDLS-Kalka
    B) NDLS-Agra Cantt
    C) NDLS-Chandigarh
    D) Mumbai-Ahmedabad
    Ans: B

  7. Shatabdi trains are hauled by
    A) WDM3A only
    B) WAP-5/WAP-7 only
    C) Both WDM & WAP
    D) WDG4
    Ans: B

  8. How many total Shatabdi pairs are running as on April 2024?
    A) 20
    B) 22
    C) 25
    D) 28
    Ans: C

  9. The only overnight Shatabdi is
    A) 12005 Kalka-NDLS
    B) 12055 DEE-Bandra
    C) 12001 Bhopal-NDLS
    D) 12051 Madgaon-Mumbai
    Ans: B

  10. Shatabdi coaches are manufactured by
    A) BEML
    B) ICF
    C) LHB design at RCF Kapurthala
    D) CLW
    Ans: C

  11. Which Shatabdi was upgraded as “Swarn” first?
    A) NDLS-Lucknow
    B) NDLS-Amritsar
    C) NDLS-Bhopal
    D) NDLS-Kalka
    Ans: A

  12. The fare of Shatabdi includes
    A) Only seat rent
    B) Seat + superfast charge only
    C) Seat + superfast + catering
    D) Seat + GST only
    Ans: C

  13. Executive Chair Car (EC) has seating arrangement of
    A) 2×2
    B) 2×3
    C) 1×2
    D) 3×3
    Ans: C

  14. The first Shatabdi of South India was introduced between
    A) Chennai-Bangalore
    B) Chennai-Mysuru
    C) Thiruvananthapuram-Madurai
    D) Hyderabad-Chennai
    Ans: A

  15. Head-on-Generation (HOG) system in Shatabdi means
    A) Generator car at front
    B) Power drawn from loco instead of EOG
    C) Battery bank under every coach
    D) Solar panels on roof
    Ans: B

Use this sheet for daily 10-minute revision – ensure 100% accuracy in Shatabdi questions under “Trains” category of RRB NTPC/Group-D/JE/ALP exams.

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