Jaisalmer-Bikaner train introduced.

A new train started service yesterday between Bikaner and Jaisalmer.

Train 4704 departs Bikaner daily at 06:40, then Gajner at 07:26 and gets to Jaisalmer at 13:45

Train 4703 departs Jaisalmer daily at 09:35, gets to Gajner at 15:03 and gets to Bikaner at 17:25

3-tier air con = Rs 429
Sleeper Class = Rs 163 (not air con)

The times for 4703 didn't seem right so I checked, the train gets to Lalgarh Jn at 15:55 and departs at 17:15 for the final 3 kms to Bikaner, so it may be better to get off the train at Lalgarh and get a rickshaw (and I bet the rickshaw drivers take advantage), I will investigate the reason for this delay.

I mention Gajner (34kms from Bikaner) because I saw Gajner on a TV programme a few days ago and it looks like a place worth visiting, has anyone been to Gajner?

Overnight trains will also be introduced shortly, their times are as follows.

Train 4702 departs Bikaner daily at 23:25 and gets to Jaisalmer at 06:10

Train 4701 departs Jaisalmer daily at 22:45 and gets to Bikaner at 04:40

Great news- this makes a Rajasthan circuit possible by train only!!!
That bus journey between Jaisalmer and Bikaner was a real pain!

Train timetables often have peculiarly slow final or middle sections-often 25 mins for the last 3 kms. Take a look at 6222 Chennai-Mysore exp when it's crossing Bangalore!-then 45 mins for the last 15 kms.

Take a look at the Ajmer-Udaipur thread I just started.

Yes, I sometimes call it 'add on' time, to help the train arrive 'on time'.

But the above train spends all that time sitting in the train station, I'm wondering if some of the carriages are through carriages' and are to be added to another train, the Lalgarh-Guwahati train starts it's journey a couple of hours after this train, I wonder if the carriages are to be added to that train, I doubt it.

I have been postponing my Jodhpur-Jaisalmer-Bikaner trip mainly becasue I hated travelling by road from Jaisalmer to Bikaner. Now that trains have been introduced in this section, I will have to plan this trip.
Once the newly laid broad-gauge track between Jaisalmer-Bikaner settles down, one would expect a Shatabdi type train between Jaisalmer-Bikaner-Jaisalmer.

Sadanand

The most welcome news for Rajasthan travel buffs. Whenever I thought of travelling Rajasthan, I have planned going directly to Bikaner from Kolkata and then to Jaisalmir. Now, it had become easier. I would prefer the day train for the desert sceneries.

I'm no expert, and the 'working timetable' of an individual rake (train) always seem to mystify me, but this daytime train having only 3A and SL class tell me that they intend on using the same rakes for the overnight trains.

There is still the mystery of the long halt at Lalgarh.

You may be right Steven, may be 4704 reaches Jaisalmir in the evening and becomes 4701 as an overnight train from Jaisalmir to Bikanir,, reaching Bikaner in early morning, it again starts towards Jaisalmir as 4704 in the morning.

May be there is shortage of rakes and the Railways want to start both the trains.....in a later stage which, the sleeper rakes may be replaced with chair-car coaches....when the trains get their dedicated rakes.

Two days back we had a guest arriving from Bikaner on the early morning train and it reached Jaisalmer on time - so looks like all going well! Thank you Steven for posting this news - I was going to but computer connections here were failing for the last few days!!

Can you tel me what is rakes i got one for my garden


Tony

Would you believe that I really am not sure what a rake is?

Here's my understanding....

An engine, passenger carriages, guards van (and whatever else may be included), in other words, a ‘full train set’ ready to go into service.

A railway operations manager will decide what rate is used for a particular service, though most medium and long distance services in India seem to have their own dedicated rakes, there are a few times when you'll find a short distance day train uses a rake with overnight carriages (berths), this is normally because the train will be used as an overnight train on it's return journey.

I think I've made that sound a lot more complicated that it actually is.

'rake' (in India): a connected set of railway carriages or wagons.

but wagons or railway carriages are called 'bogies' in India

Maybe the long halt has been added for the benefit of the rickshaw drivers?

They do this adding on time thing in Britain too. Every train has 5 to 10 minutes added at the end of the journey, and long distance trains have a lot added on the way too. So a train from Aberdeen to Penzance might be an hour late at Birmingham, but reach Penzance 9 minutes late and count as 'on time'. Which is no consolation to the vast majority of people on the train who are not going to Cornwall.

This is why we have posters at our stations saying rubbish like 86.7% of trains were on time last month etc.

[QUOTE=steven_ber;355686]A new train started service yesterday between Bikaner and Jaisalmer.

I'm so glad I found this info now - planning a summer 23 day Rajasthan trip, but my LP Del/Ag/Raj guide makes no mention of this service, even though it is dated edition October 2008! How pathetic is that?

Thanks for your post,

James

Yes ...I'm also thrilled to have found this!

. Ditto above re LP Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan guide having absolutely no mention of trains between the two places and not even showing a railway track on the map.

Thank you for rescuing my itinerary!

Research work for LP is undertaken a year before being published I am led to believe. And some of their research has been questioned lately. But hey I found its a great guide for getting around India.