Gatimaan Express: This is what it looks like when India's fastest train whooshes past

Indian trains aren't exactly fast. The average passenger train travels at just 36 km/hr. Freight trains are even slower, with an average speed of only 26 km/hr. Cars in gridlocked Delhi traffic manage to maintain a better average speed. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that everyone decided to go gaga over the Gatimaan Express, the Indian Railways fastest-ever train, which made its inaugural journey on Tuesday.

The Gatimaan Express, referred to as a semi-high-speed locomotive, made the Delhi-Agra journey in a matter of 100 minutes in its very first run, clocking a speed of 160 km/hr on the way. Its closest competitor, the Bhopal Shatabadi, is known to hit speeds of 150 km/hr. That train, it is worth pointing out, made its first run way back in 1998.

With a 5,400 horse power electric locomotive, the non-stop train will ply on all days except Friday. It will roll out at 8.10 am from Hazrat Nizamuddin and 5.50 pm from Agra Cantonment. Railways is hoping that the speed, coupled with a number of customer based tweaks – larger windows and entertainment options – will justify its higher fares, which stand at Rs 750 and Executive Class is Rs 1,500.

Although it's a far cry from actual high-speed rail – which presumes speeds of at least 200 km/hr – this video from a level-crossing along the Gatimaan Express' route does demonstrate the relative speed of the train, especially when we're much more used to sights like the tepid race between these two passenger trains.

In the video, the Gujarat Mail, already running an hour late, catches up with a 2 hour late-running Saurashtra Janata Express somewhere near Jogeshwari Station in the Mumbai suburbs of Western Railway.