The Deccan Queen, one of Central Railway’s most prestigious and popular trains, will enter its 96th year of service tomorrow (June 1, 2025).

The train, introduced between Mumbai and Pune, the two premier cities of Maharashtra, on June 1, 1930, was a major landmark in the history of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, the forerunner of the Central Railway.

This was the first deluxe train introduced to serve two important cities of the region and was aptly named as “Deccan Queen” or “Dakkan ki Rani”.

Journey till now

• The Deccan Queen was initially introduced with two rakes of seven coaches each, one of which was painted in silver with scarlet mouldings and the other with royal blue with gold lines.

• The underframes of the coaches of the original rakes were built in England, while the coach bodies were built at the Matunga Workshop of the GIP Railway.

• The coaches of the original rakes were replaced in 1966 by anti-telescopic steel-bodied integral coaches built by Integral Coach Factory, Perambur.

• The number of coaches was increased from seven to 12.

• The old rakes were replaced with new air brake rakes in 1995.

• The Mumbai-Pune Deccan Queen was attached with a Vistadome coach with effect from Ausgut 15, 2021. This provided passengers a golden opportunity to have a wonderful view of the breathtaking scenery as the train traversed through the Western Ghats.

• All the conventional coaches of Deccan Queen Express were replaced with LHB coaches in June 2022 under Project Utkrisht. These coaches have modern facilities like LED lights, bio-toilets, Braille signage, etc.

• The train now runs with a revised composition of 16 coaches viz. Three AC Chair Car, 9 Second Class Chair Car, One Vista dome coach, One Dining Car, One General Second class cum Guard’s brake van and Generator Car.

First time in India

Deccan Queen has the distinction of having many firsts to its credit.

• Coaches with roller bearings were introduced for the 1st time

• End-On Generation coaches were replaced with self-generating coaches with a 110-volt system for the 1st time

• First and Second class Chair Cars introduced for the 1st time

Unique Feature - The only train with a Dining Car

The Deccan Queen is the only running train with the facility of a Dining Car, which offers table service and has modern pantry facilities such as a microwave oven, a deep freezer and a toaster. The dining car is also tastefully furnished with cushioned chairs and carpet.