Deccan Queen completes 86 years in service

People’s choice

Launched by the British Great Peninsula in 1930, it was initially run as a weekend train for the Britons to ferry them between the two major cities of Maharashtra. It was then converted to a daily service comprising two rides to Pune and back on public demand. It is also one of the longest running trains of the Indian Railways to have run on electric locomotives. For years, more than her sister concerns like Pragati or Sinhagad Express, the Deccan Queen has earned praise from regulars due to its punctuality and speed.

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The rake has seen umpteen numbers of faces (many regular), listened to a plethora of stories and made every traveler reach his or her destination without complain. One of many loyal helpers who have aided in the Queen’s service is S Jagannath, the head caterer, who recalls serving snacks to commuters for 40 years with the same love.

“For over 40 years, I have been associated with the train in one way or the other. Earlier, I would unload goods from the train and later I was shifted to the cooking department. This train is special to me as I have many memories attached with it, one of them is to serve hungry commuters with food,” he recalls.

Lavish Dining Car

Serviced with a lavish pantry , the Deccan Queen becomes the sole train to treat its visitors to a Dining Car. Named as the ‘Pantry Car’, it sees a regular crowd of commuters who prefer to eat in the Dining Hub than at their seats. Inspired from the breakfast of the British, the food menu involves serving simple dishes like omelettes and toast breads to commuters at very affordable costs.

“I have seen travelers coming from CST station till Karjat only to enjoy a nice meal in the Deccan Queen,” says Arumugim, who has been the Catering Inspector for five years for the Queen. “We serve travelers breakfast in the morning and office-goers quality snacks in the evening. Our motive remains to filling those three hours of a commuter’s journey with food-fun in this prestigious train.”

Passenger of Deccan Queen inside the new dining car popularly known as ‘Restaurant on Wheels’. Express Photo/Kevin D’Souza

Queen is a habit

Meant as a train reserved for the British in the past, it has transformed to become one of the preferred choices of Mumbai-Pune commuters. So much so, that commuters are forced to book their tickets at least a day or two in advance considering the rush everyday.

“The train goes full at most every day,” affirms Sharad Godse, who has been commuting in the Deccan Queen for 25 years. He, along with his union members, travel in the train once every month to attend a meet in Mumbai. “In comparison to other modes of transport, we have always preferred the Deccan Queen for the kind of comfort it gives. Such a regular am I, that every worker of the train has become a friend of mine. I feel homely in here,” added Godse.

Another commuter, Rajpal, described the Deccan as his “second wife”. Spending at least six hours a day in the Queen, Rajpal says it’s become more of a habit now. “I am a seasoned ticket-holder in the air-conditioned coach of the train for over forty years. It becomes necessary for me to commute to Mumbai for business 4-5 days a week from Pune. No other mode of transport pleases me more than this,” he said.

Bonding galore

Playing cards, singing songs or admiring the natural scenery from the windows are activities most commuters spend their journey doing. Many have bonded by meeting in the same coaches for years and celebrate special occasions and festivities together on the train.

“Every Diwali, Dussehra and New Year is a feast for regular commuters of the Deccan Queen. Monthly pass holders decorate their reserved bogies themselves. On those days, the train also celebrates with the commuters,” said another commuter.

Unreserved vs season tickets

The train is divided equally with passengers on either side. However, the general compartment and unreserved ticket holders face the maximum crowd everyday. So crowded are their bogies that even moving in their compartment is difficult. Owing to this, a tiff between the unreserved and regulars exists.

“The season ticket holders try to reserve the seats for their friends and themselves. So much so, that it becomes difficult to even ask them for some space to sit in case your compartment is full. With maximum compartments reserved, we are forced to stand in the crowd,” said Anwar Hussain, who was refused while trying to ask for a seat for his wife and children in the ladies’ compartment which was partially full.

However, Sangita Kulkarni, a regular in the train, said, “Daily commuters like us want to sit with comfort on our allotted seats. When others try to come in, they ask us to squeeze to offer them some space. Considering the longer hours of journey, this becomes difficult for us and so we refuse.”

Deccan Queen, also known as the Mumbai-Pune Express, is the sole train to possess its own dining car. (Express photo by Abhijit Alka Anil)

Evergreen Royalty

What commuters feel proud of is the evergreen charm and the feel of royalty the train possesses. Though travelling in the Queen remains a part of routine for some, it is this routine which has become their tradition. One of such traditions is to cut a cake weighing a number equal to the train’s age.

“We celebrate the birthday of our train on June 1 by cutting a cake weighing equal to the years of service it completes. On this day, the Deccan is so well-decorated to make it actually look like a Queen. Woh kya hain na, hum Buddhe ho gae, par train toh ab bhi jawan hai,” said a worker.