Trains named After Novels

Trains are indeed the heart and soul of India and this gets proved by the unique names each train carries along with its run. Trains and their special names have a unique connection with the Indian Railways. Most of the trains are identified by their unique names. Have you ever thought how the railways name its trains? Well, the names are usually based on the regions they connect, routes they traverse, rivers they cross, mountains, famous personalities, and a lot more. There are also a few trains which have been named after the literary works of the famous writers. Here in this article, we have compiled a list of those few trains with the literary touch which have been named after the writers or the works of various authors.

1. Godan – Munshi Premchand
   11055 Mumbai LTT Gorakhpur Godan Express which runs from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai to Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh is named after Munshi Premchand’s acclaimed work “Godan”. Godan is a Hindi novel by Premchand which was first published in 1936 and is considered one of the greatest Hindi novels of modern Indian literature. It revolved around the socio-economic deprivation as well as the exploitation of the village poor. This novel was the last complete novel of Premchand. He was one of the most celebrated writers of the Indian subcontinent and is regarded as one of the foremost Hindi writers of the early twentieth century.

   

2. Hate Bazare – Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay
   

   13169 Hate Bazare Express is an Express train belonging to the Eastern Railway Zone that runs between Kolkata Sealdah and Saharsa Junction. The name of the train is derived from the Bengali word “Hate Bazare” which means The Market Place in English. It’s the name of the novel wrote by Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay (Banaphool). He was the recipient of the civilian honour, Padma Bhushan. The novel was also adapted as an art film in 1967 by the same name by Tapan Sinha and went on to win many awards.

   

3. Aranyak – Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhyay
   12885 Aranyak Express is a short-distance superfast type day train that runs between Kolkata Shalimar and Bhojudih station. The train has been named after a famous Bengali novel “Aranyak”, by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. The novel is based on his long and arduous years in northern Bihar, where he came into contact with a part of the world that even now remains unknown to most of us. Aranyak literally means Of the Forest. This novel explores the journey of the protagonist Satyacharan in the dichotomy of urban and jungle lives. This novel reflects the great love of human and nature that the great novelist experienced in his heart. This novel is a classic in Bengali literature and has influenced many upcoming novelists and intellectuals alike.

   

4. Kaifiyaat - Kaifi Azmi
   

   The train 12225 Kaifyaat SF Express is one of the few trains named after a person. The train runs between Delhi and Azamgarh which is the hometown of the eminent Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi. Kaifi Azmi (1919 - 2002) was an Urdu and Hindi film lyricist, poet and songwriter and his literary legacy remain remarkable in Urdu poetry. He was born into a family of landlords in the small village Mejwaan, in Azamgarh district. He was the recipient of Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards. Amongst others, he is also the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy Award, Special Award of Maharashtra Urdu Academy and various others. He is the father of actress Shabana Azmi.

   

5. Ganadevta – Tarashankar Bandopadhyay
   The train 13017 Ganadevta Express has been named after a Bengali novel of the same name written by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay. The train runs between Howrah and Azimganj. The novel “Ganadevta” meaning People as God was first published in 1942. The author received the Jnanpith Award in 1966 for this novel. In this novel, Bandyopadhyay narrated the lives of Indian/Bengal villages and lives of the villagers affected by poverty, ignorance and primitive instinct. The novel has been translated into several languages. The novel was also filmed as Ganadevta in 1978 by Tarun Majumdar.

   

6. Tutari – Krishnaji Keshav Damle
   

   

   11003 Tutari (Rajyarani) Express is a train named after a poem named “Tutari” by Marathi poet Keshav Damle. The Dadar-Sawantwadi Rajya Rani Express was renamed as “Tutari Express” by the former railway minister, Mr Suresh Prabhu in 2017. The decision was taken to pay tribute to Keshav Damle, pioneer of modern Marathi poetry for his contribution to Marathi literature. In this poem, Keshavsut calls to fight for independence. It was written during the British rule in India. The poem inspired many Indians to fight to overthrow the British occupation. The poem is deeply inspirational and can be read as a clarion call to action against all forms of injustice. Krishnaji Keshav Damle was a Marathi poet from Maharashtra, India, (October 7, 1866 – November 7, 1905) and wrote poetry under the pen name Keshavsut.

These are the few trains which have added an erudite touch to the Indian Railways. Last year, it was stated by the railway ministry that they are looking at a proposal to rename trains after famous literary works, referencing not just their authors but the region they come from. The ministry said that they are creating a bank of award-winning literary works from across the country to christen trains across railway zones. This will increase the number of trains named after literary works or writers. That’s all folks. Hope you enjoyed reading the blog. For an easy-peasy experience, book your train tickets through Trainman app and get 100 percent cashback upto Rs 250 on choosing the payment mode as PayPal. Download Trainman App to check PNR Status of the ticket booked, Running Status, Seat Availability and many such features.