* Actual magnitude of the operating speed of trains, their avg speed and the journey times has really become a vexed issue. Announcement of Member (traffic), RB that BPL Shatabdi does NDLS-AGC at max speed of 140kmph (against the earlier reports of 150kmph which made it speed record holder prior to introduction of Gatimaan) only adds to confusion.
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* When BPL Shatabdi was introduced in late 1980s, it was reported that its speed was 140kmph-NDLS-AGC, 120kmph(upto JHS) and and only 110 kmph beyond that along with many upto 70kmph speed restrictions in...
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BPL-Bina stretch. Still the train NDLS-BPL was done in 7:40-7:50 hrs only.
* 30 years later and after track/ signalling upgradation (NDLS-AGC-from 140 to 150/160kmph, AGC-JHS 120-130, JHS-BINA from 110-130 & BINA-BPL from 110-120, and removal of Temp. Speed restrictions, still the (NDLS-HBJ) Shatabdi take 8:30 minutes or 8:15 hrs for NDLS-BPL run i.e. 30 minutes more, even if 4 additional brief halts (Mathura, Dholpur, Morena, Lalitpur) are taken into account, the train is taking about 5-10 minutes more in-spite of increased speed!
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* Similarly it was reported and perceived that max speed of DDR-MAO JS is 120kmph and CSTM-Karmali-Tejas shall operate at 130kmph and now reports that Member (traffic), RB announcing that Tejas speed was actually restricted to just 110kmph during the run due to (poor?) conditions of KR track. Further, it was reported yesterday that the train departed CSTM about an hour late on inaugural run and reached destination 15 minutes before time.
* after running at just 110kmph instead of scheduled speed of 130kmph, if Tejs could "make up" 1 hrs, then if operated at 130 kmph it could probably reduce the journey time by 2 hrs.
* CSTM-Karmali actual distance is just 552kms and inflated chargeable distance may be 703 kms as stated by Member (traffic), so Tejas doing just 552 kms(@65kmph) in 8:30 hrs is actually much slower than BPL shatabdi doing 710km in 8:25/8:30 hrs (@84kmph) and not the equally fast as reported.
* A premium train operating at 130kmph and on top priority on the route is expected to give an avg speed of about 75kmph. CSTM-HWH-Duronto give 75kmph avg speed inspite of operating at 110kmph only.