How Indian Railways plans to transform country's first superfast train Deccan Queen Express

The Indian Railways is planning to give a total makeover to country's first superfast train Deccan Queen Express. The train will be upgraded with German-design Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches, a new livery and a brand new logo. The train was started between Mumbai and Pune in 1930 and is India's first superfast train, first long-distance electric-hauled train, first vestibuled train, first train to have a "ladies only" car and the first train to feature a dining car.

"The 90-year-old train is now proposed to be upgraded with the German-design Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches. LHB coaches have better safety features and offer an improved travelling experience -- better suspension system and better riding comfort. Secondly, there is a proposed revamp of the external livery design of the train, which will be used in the proposed LHB rake of the train," a statement from Indian Railways read. 

Currently, the Deccan Queen has a unique existing livery colour of blue and white with a red band. "Thirdly, there is also a proposal for a new logo of the proposed LHB upgrade of the train," a statement from the railways said.

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The Railways has also sought customers' opinions on the preferred external livery design and based on that, has prepared eight different livery design, along with their ranking as per the customer voting.

"A new logo design has also been proposed, incorporating an image of the UNESCO-listed Mumbai-CSMT station. "The Central Railway has engaged the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, to provide professional inputs on the livery designs. The Central Railway has made all the eight different livery designs, logo design and other related material available to NID," the statement from the railways said.