Agra Shatabdi to be discontinued, new train to run from Ajmer

The Jaipur-Agra Fort-Jaipur Shatabdi Express will be replaced by a new train Ajmer-Agra Fort-Ajmer Superfast Express from May 1, according to an official of the North Western Railway (NWR).

The superfast train will be renamed as Ajmer-Agra Fort-Ajmer Jan Shatabdi Express from July 31 this year, said Tarun Jain, the chief public relation officer (PRO) of NWR.

The railways cited low occupancy of the train resulting in losses as the reason for discontinuing the Jaipur-Agra Fort-Jaipur Shatabdi Express.

The Jaipur-Agra Fort Shatabdi Express, launched in 2012, covers a distance of 241 km in 3 hours and 30 minutes. The train departs from Jaipur at 7.05am and reaches Agra Fort at 10.35am. Except Thursday, the runs six days a week and has only two halts of two minutes each, one at Gandhi Nagar and second at Bharatpur. The train has six coaches comprising one coach of executive class and five coaches of chair car. The fare of executive class is Rs 1,155 and chair car is Rs 735.

The idea behind the renaming of Ajmer-Agra Fort-Ajmer Superfast Express as Ajmer-Agra Fort-Ajmer Jan Shatabdi Express is to make it affordable for those who “cannot afford travel in Shatabdi” trains.

“Those who want the facility of Shatabdi will not remain deprived and at the same time those who cannot afford Shatabdi express can also travel by Jan Shatabdi express,” said Jain, while explaining the ideas behind the decision.

At present, the train number of Jaipur-Agra Fort-Jaipur Shatabdi Express is 12035/12035. The train number for Ajmer-Agra Fort-Ajmer Superfast Express will be 22987/22988. After renaming of the train from July 31, the train with run with a new number 12089/12090.

From May 1, the Ajmer-Agra Fort-Ajmer Superfast will depart from Ajmer at 6am and reach Agra Fort at 12.25pm. The train will halt at Phulera, Jaipur, Gandhi Nagar, Dausa, Kherli and Bharatpur. The fare of air-conditioned chair car from Ajmer to Agra Fort will be Rs 430, while it will be Rs 120 for second chair car. The same train from Agra Fort will depart at 2.25pm and reach Ajmer at 9.10pm.

The train will have 13 coaches comprising an air-conditioned chair car, 10 second chair car and two guard cabins.