Long live the Queen!

She has completed 80 years but continues to hold the charm. Many attend her birthdays as if their relative is celebrating the occasion. For some, she is part of their life. Hundreds have grown with her and hold her dear to their heart.

     Yes, we are talking about Deccan Queen (DQ)operating between Mumbai and Pune. She celebrated her 80th birthday on June 1, 2010 and passengers made the occasion memorable, like in this past, by cutting a cake and distributing sweets on the train. The train was decked up with flowers and garlands like a bride.

Harsha Shah, president of the Railway Pravasi Sangh, did not miss the occasion like in the past 54 years. "Since I was five years old I have been part of the Queen's celebrations. My uncle Shantilal Shah who travelled to Mumbai by the train used to bring me for the celebrations on June 1 every year. Since then I have not missed one single opportunity to celebrate the Queen's birthday," she said. "I am 60 and has been celebrating Queen's birthday for 55 years."

This year, the occasion was special. "We are celebrating the Sahasra Chandra Darshan (meaning the train has seen a thousand full moons in one life span) of the DQ," Shah said.

The birthday party was attended by the railway staff as well. "I feel so proud of working on such a train..... It is a very important passenger train for the Indian Railways and I am very proud to drive such a train," said P Mishra, the driver of the DQ on the occasion.
DQ, or 'Dakhkhan chi Rani' in Marathi, is one of the most loved trains, and despite the advent of much faster and more modern trains, including the Durantos and Garib Raths, the DQ stands out in a class of her own.

On June 1, 1930, the erstwhile Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR, now Central Railway) flagged off DQ, India's first deluxe train between the commercial capital Bombay (now Mumbai), and Poona (now Pune).

DQ was India's first super fast train, first long distance electric engine hauled passenger train, one of India's first vestibuled trains, first to have a 'Ladies Only Car' and first to feature a dining car. DQ has a unique record of sorts as it has never been hauled by a steam engine. However, the colour of the rake has undergone changes a few times. DQ is one of the few trains in India having ISO 9000 certification.

The train started as a weekend train during the Raj period, to ferry punters from Mumbai to Pune, which was famous for its regular race season. It took just two hours 45 minutes to cover 192 km against six hours by other trains. As now more coaches have been added, it now takes three hours and 25 minutes. In 1943, Indians were allowed to board the train and with increased patronage, DQ became a daily service.

It is one of the few trains, where passengers can go to the dining car and relish snacks while watching the spell-binding scenery outside. Along with the regular run of the potato wadas, dosas, cutlets, patties, soup, and the usual items, DQ's pantry serves several unique dishes including baked beans on toast, cheese toast, scrambled eggs, mutton cutlets, and the piece de resistance: fish and chips. Fish is served only during the run from Mumbai to Pune.

DQ has only a couple of stops. From Pune to Mumbai, it halts for a few minutes at a point named Monkey Hill (just after Lonavala) at the beginning of a steep descent in order to check its brakes. In the reverse direction, the train halts at Karjat to attach banker locomotives at the rear to enable the train to climb the mountainous route. Even the livery has been changed only a few times in the past several decades.
 Due to the popularity of the train, several cars are reserved for season ticket holders. Indeed, DQ must be one of the very few trains in India which has first class AC cars reserved for season ticket holders. The train has five AC chair cars, of which three are for pass holders.

There are scores of folks who commute every day between the two cities. Several sub groups and card-playing teams have been formed on board. They say marriages are made in heaven, but many alliances have been made on DQ. The closely-knit group of commuters celebrate on board birthdays, festivals, wedding anniversaries, child births, promotions, and even increments.

Says Rekha, who has been travelling on this train for the past four years: “DQ is like my second home. All the pass-holders in this train are like my sisters and mothers. This train has given me a lot in these four years."
Whether it is summer or monsoon, DQ is packed in both directions all the year round, except probably on Sundays. The romance continues, non-stop, in its 81st year.