Tag Archives: Indian Railway

Railway Station, Railway Stations

Overview of Udaipur Railway Station – UDZ

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Udaipur was the capital city of the kingdom of Mewar. The Mewar province became a part of Rajasthan after Independence. Coming under the Ajmer division of the North Western Zone of the Indian Railways, the Udaipur Railway Station has a broad gauge network that connects the city with major cities in Rajasthan along with other cities in India such as Jaipur, Kota, Khajuraho, Ajmer, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Alwar, Chittorgarh, Ujjain, Indore, Baroda, Gwalior and Surat. It also has a metre gauge network to Ahmedabad.

The number of platforms in the station is six. There are about 18 pairs of trains shuttling through this junction which include Udaipur City Express, Ananya Express, Gwalior- Udaipur Superfast Express, etc. The station handles around 54,000 commuters daily. Luxurious trains also traverse through this station. Some of them are the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, the Palace on Wheels, Maharaja Express, and The Indian Maharaja. The trains running between Udaipur and Delhi are Chetak Express and Mewar Express.

The places of tourist attraction are the many lakes, palaces and monuments with scenic beauty. Some of the lakes are Lake Pichola, Swaroop Sagar, Fateh Sagar Lake and Udai Sagar. The Lake Place covers an entire island in the Pichola Lake. Famously known as the “Venice of the East”, Udaipur is also called the “Lake City” or the “City of Lakes”. Other popular places are the Maharana Pratap Memorial and Bagore Ki Haveli.

Udaipur Railway Station Facilities –

Since Udaipur is a major tourist hub, it has many tourist complexes and hotels around the city. Retiring room facility is available in the station on payment of prescribed charges. A station cloak room also exists. Along with Ajmer, Udaipur Railway Station also has solar panels installed for generating power to operate lights and fans within the station premises. The 8.8 MW of solar power plants cut down electricity usage by 20 to 25 per cent.

Udaipur Railway Station Famous Food –

One must order from travelkhana.com , whenever passing through this station, they offer a variety of cuisines. At Udaipur one can have range of dishes such as Kaju Masala, Mushroom Tawa Masala, along with traditional Indian breads such as Lachcha Parantha,Cheese Naan, Missi Roti etc.For those who have an thirsty appetite some Butter Milk and Special Lassi would be real good to gulp down. The food comes in disposable packing and comes with a handy meal kit consisting of a sturdy spoon , toothpick , napkin and a mouth freshner.

The average meal for two person is 350 rs. The order can be placed either by dialing the toll free number 8800313131 or through the website www.travelkhana.com or through the app by downloading the travelkhana app. Good discounts are also offered on order for group bookings.

Udaipur Railway Station nearby Restaurants –

Neelam restaurant is one of the better restaurants of Udaipur, the restaurant is near to the station as well.There is special Jain food prepared for customer who follow Jain religion . Special care is taken that no vegetable that is grown and flowers under the ground is used in the recipe.

Trains Passing Through Udaipur Railway Station (UDZ) –

Train No. Train Name Arr. Time Dep. Time
4971 UDZ-JAT GARIBRATH SPL origin 11:50
4972 JAT-UDZ GARIBRATH SPL 08:55 destination
9721 Jaipur – Udaipur SF Daily Special 13:45 destination
9722 UDZ JP SF SPL origin 14:15
12315 Ananya Express(SDAH-UDZ) 03:00 destination
12316 Ananya Express origin 00:25
12963 Mewar SF Express 07:20 destination
12964 Mewar SF Express origin 18:15
12981 Chetak Express 07:50 destination
12982 Chetak Express origin 17:15
12991 Udaipur – Jaipur Intercity Express origin 06:00
12992 Jaipur Udaipur Express 21:30 destination
12995 Bandra-Udaipur SF Express 08:55 destination
12996 Udaipur Bandra SF Express Slip origin 21:35
19329 Indore Jn – Udaipur Express 19:10 destination
19330 Udaipur Indore Express origin 20:35
19601 Ajmer-NewJalpaiguri Weekly Express(AII-NJP) origin 00:25
19602 NewJalpaiguri-Ajmer Weekly Express(NJP-AII) 04:05 destination
19659 SHM UDZ EXPRESS(SHM-UDZ) 08:55 destination
19660 UDZ SHM EXPRESS(UDZ-SHM) origin 20:00
19665 Khajuraho – Udaipur City Express 06:45 destination
19666 Udaipur City- Khajuraho Express origin 22:20
19943 Udaipur Ahmedabad Express (MG) origin 17:45
19944 Ahmedabad Udaipur Express (MG) 09:20 destination
22901 Mumbai BandraT-Udaipur SF Express(BDTS-UDZ) 15:55 destination
22902 Udaipur – Mumbai Bandra Triweekly SF Express(UDZ-BDTS) origin 21:35
52928 Mewar Fast MG Passenger 19:00 destination
Indian Rail Info, Indian Railway News, IRCTC

Simplifying Travelling with IRCTC Services

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As a subsidiary of Indian Railways, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, aims to make travelling with Indian Railways an experience of delightful surprises. The concern has a bouquet of services that not only make travelling easy throughout India, but also open new possibilities in tourism, for the consumer and the travel and tourism sector alike.

Since 1999, IRCTC has been constantly improving upon the service and user interfaces. Currently, with almost all their services found online, IRCTC is among the very best concerns in the public sector in terms of user friendliness and being a service provider.

From ticket booking to e-catering, let’s get an idea about their services:

  • Welcome to Smart Travelling –

Perhaps the most prominent and useful service, that IRCTC provides, is the e-ticket service. With this online procedure, the pains of standing in lines for hours and meeting frustration are all things of the past. This simple yet profound service not only saves time, but also travellers now can consider travelling easily via trains.

  • Feast on the Move –

IRCTC’s latest endeavour to make the train travelling a happy experience is the e-catering service. With the PNR number, now passengers can book scheduled meals of their choice while travelling.

  • Travelling for Happiness –

It’s no more only about travelling for a reason with IRCTC. As we have evolved as an economy, more and more Indians are going for packaged tours. IRCTC caters to this growing interest in tourism with its packaged tours. The tours are categorised according to preference like wildlife tours, religious, tour to the North East, tours to beaches of India to name the most popular. And, you can also enjoy a custom tour with IRCTC, as well.

With these tours, you will have the peace of mind as IRCTC will book your accommodations and tickets. Also, professional guides will be there to show you around the places.

  • Going Places –

To entertain the travellers’ wishes to visit places in other countries, IRCTC conducts international tours, as well. Joining hands with Thomas Cook, the global tourism concern, IRCTC provides some of the most comfortable, well-planned and well-managed tours.

You can also book international flights with IRCTC.

With these services, considerably well managed, IRCTC is winning many smiles on a daily basis.

  • In The Name of the Gods –

India is a country of many gods. And the pilgrimage in India has always been an important aspect of life. IRCTC offers tours to some of the most popular pilgrimage spots in the country. Now, it has become hassle free and comfortable to pay a visit to the holy of the holies in Tirupati, Kanyakumari, Mahakaleswar and many other places. Also, as Indian Railways has special trains for special religious occasions, IRCTC’s packages during those festivals have become quite popular.

  • Help at your Doorstep –

When we travel to other cities or places, we often have to take care of the conveyance troubles ourselves. Sometimes, these become a serious bother and mar the joys of travelling. IRCTC offers concierge and taxi services to make our travel a little easier. This relatively new service has already gained a lot of appreciation among the travellers in India.

  • Experience Culture and Heritage –

India is truly a haven of cultural monuments and statues. Knowing about the visiting times, directions to reach those places and getting proper guidance are some of the most annoying troubles that travellers face. IRCTC helps travellers to visit these places without harassment and frustration. One just has to book the visit schedules and all the necessities will be taken care by the concern.

  • Travelling by Theme –

India has been the birthplace of many cultural and religious movements. And many travellers wish to travel through all the places that are significant in a certain culture. With the Tourist Trains and IRCTC’s scheduled services, now travellers can enjoy this kind of tourism. Buddhist Circuit and Bharat Darshan are two brilliant examples of this service. Truly, this is a unique and sincere approach to showcase India’s rich history.

Now, a passenger can track his/her train’s schedule with SMS and train tracking apps, as well. With all these innovative services, IRCTC is making sure that the Indian Railways remains our first preference while travelling, for pleasure or for business.

Indian Rail Info, Indian Railway News, IRCTC

Get Indian Railway Information on Mobile via SMS or Call

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Indian Railways has been a mixed blessing for us Indians. There was a time when the railways timetable booklet was referred to as the ‘joke book’ of Rail ministry. Waiting at the station for hours for the train to come was a regular incident.

And booking tickets was a matter of real drudgery. Long queues, unreliable information and frustrating behaviour were all part and parcel of train travelling.

Until recently, the situation remained almost unchanged. In the era of high-tech speed, we had to go to physical centres to book tickets. We had a website, but there was always a chance that it would not work properly.

Today, fortunately, things are changing. Now, e-ticketing is a reality. Along with this and other facilities, SMS booking has been launched, and for sure, this is going to change the experience of Indian Railways forever.

  • The Initial Stages –

Previously, the Indian Railways website could only book a meagre 2000 tickets per minute. When the site crashed under excessive passenger traffic, the Ministry of Railways took initiatives to re-launch the site. The new site can book 7200 tickets per minute. Last year along with the new site launch, the SMS ticket booking and information system was also launched. Now obtaining any news regarding the Indian Railways is a matter of sending an SMS.

  • The Process –

Before you press the send button, there are a few steps to cover. Let’s look at the process:

  1. The process works on the foundation of Immediate Payment Service or IMPS supported by banks. You need to have an account with a bank, which supports IMPS. Currently, almost all banks do that. You also need to have the Mobile Money Identifier or the MMID code of seven digits for the transaction.
  2. You have to create your own IRCTC account. When you need to enter the phone number, please enter the number, which you have registered in the bank through which the payment will be processed.
  3. As you are done with the IRCTC account and your bank’s MMID, a One Time Password or OTP will be sent to you from your bank.
  4. Now send the SMS to 139. It should read like BOOK (Train number) (Train code) Passenger name passenger gender, etc. you can book up to six seats through the SMS.
  5. IRCTC will send an SMS with fare and seat availability as well as the transaction ID.
  6. Send PAY IMPS IRCTC user ID to 139.
  7. As the confirmation message arrives, just show the message while you board the train or the checker comes. There is no need to print anything.

At the first go, the process may seem a bit complicated. But just think about standing the lines or the frustration in case of internet failure, soon you will get accustomed with this process. And considering a meagre fee of Rs. 3 per SMS and a lot of ease, booking tickets through SMS is really the dream of any Indian Railways traveller.

  • Other Services –

Other than booking tickets, the Indian Railways SMS service is a complete information hub. Passengers can get a number of important answers from the service. The most common are:

  1. SMS Railway to 57886: This is for Indian Railways overall information like schedule, timetable, PNR status, search seat availability, etc. The return SMS would have all the options from which the sender will again choose and send.
  2. SMS IRTRAIN (Train Name) or IRTRAIN (Train No.) to 57886: This will show the time table of the train.

Another number, which has the same facility, is 139. By sending the right SMS, you can avail the right information;

  1. SMS PNR (10 digit PNR number) to 139 for any PNR enquiry.
  2. SMS AD (Train number) (Station STD code) to 139 to know the arrival and departure times.
  3. To know the seat accommodation, please SMS SEAT (Train number) (date of journey) (Station from: STD Code) (Station to: STD Code) (Class) (Quota) to 139.

Likewise, you can enquirer about train name and time, as well.

These simple technological help is going to make a huge impact on our economy making travelling and reaching places simpler. Truly, the SMS facility is a new age facility for Indian Railways passengers.

IRCTC, Special Trains, Trains

Overview of Indian Railway Luxury Trains

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Since we can remember, India has enjoyed a reputation of being a destination of luxury. Here, a mere meal can escalate to the degree of being divine, a sombre journey has the potential to become a saga of sophistication, and a stay can re-define ideas of elegant living.

And this obsession, with a larger-than-life luxury, is celebrated in real, everyday schedules, as well. With a legacy of luxury, as old as eternity, the luxury trains from the stable of Indian Railways and IRCTC turn a simple journey into a tryst with regal living. These trains are truly the epitome of Indian luxury and sophistication done to perfection.

  • The Maharaja Express –

If you thought that a train journey can never offer sophisticated journey experience, think again, India’s Maharaja Express is the answer to Europe’s Oriental Express. The new age Maharaja Express is the property of IRCTC since 2010. The idea at work here is the same that defined the kingly life in India during the reigns of kings and the British Raj. From décor, dining to facilities, this train has everything done in the perfect royal style.

Wi-Fi connection, satellite TV, DVD viewing, air conditioning are just a few of the services that you will enjoy during the week long journey covering five different itineraries. Two of these focus on the Delhi-Rajasthan circuit while the other cover wider routes across India touching the most regal destinations.

From on-the-train luxury to off-the-train guided tours, this train is one of the best tourist trains in the world.

  • Palace on Wheels –

This was the original luxury tourist train of India. The inspiration came from the personal coaches that served the kings of Rajasthan, Nizams of Hyderabad, and of course, the Viceroys of the British Raj.

The coaches of these trains, the ‘Chambers’ or the ‘Saloons,’ bring a slice of royal life for the passengers. From personal attendants, air conditioning, satellite TV and internet connections, five-star toilet and room facilities are the essential part of the itinerary on board.

The Palace on Wheels along with the Maharaja Express has helped the tourism in Rajasthan flourish. The universal and timeless charm of these trains has made them a top seller in the Indian Railways repertoire.

  • The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels –

These trains exclusively cater to the tourists in Rajasthan looking for extra orbital experience. All the facilities, that define the luxury class train journeys, are present here, as well. The itinerary takes the passengers to the most colourful wildlife sites and iconic palaces of Rajasthan. The journey fittingly ends in Agra. Since the launch of the trains in 2009, passengers have shown great appreciation and favours to the journeys.

  • The Deccan Odyssey –

Indian luxury is not only about Rajasthan or the Raj. In 2004, the Maharashtra Tourism, along with the Taj Group’s help, launched the Deccan Odyssey itineraries. These trains offer a five-star luxury travel extravaganza covering various routes across western and south-western parts of the country.

From 3 nights’ stay to a full week’s sojourn, passengers can avail various itineraries based on travel routes. Gujarat, Maharashtra, parts of Karnataka as well as parts of Agra are covered by these routes. Wildlife to cultural tourism, spiritual to the historical journey – Deccan Odyssey will take you to themed holidays with unmatched luxury.

  • The Golden Chariot –

In 2008, Karnataka Tourism launched their flagship luxury trains, the Golden Chariot. The name comes from the iconic wheel of the temple in Hampi. These trains offer the quintessential luxury facilities like spa treatment, internet connectivity, etc.

The coaches are named after ancient kingdoms and the entire design and décor, just like all other luxury trains, revolve around the theme of India’s royalty. Passengers are taken to various historical and cultural sites in Karnataka and given guided tours.

  • The Kolkata Metro –

Indian Railways counts the Kolkata Metro service as a luxury service. And quite rightly so! The metro rails are the most preferred way of travelling in the busy city that saves time, effort, and of course, money. No wonder, all other metros are now following Kolkata Metro’s footstep for better intra-city transport ease.

Whether it’s vacation of a lifetime or a way of daily commute, the luxury trains of India make life easier in more than one way.