- Route
- Delhi-Agra
- Current speed
- 130 kmph
- Planned
- 160 kmph after trials
- System
- Kavach ATP, SIL-4
- Status
- RDSO trials underway
Gatimaan Express and Vande Bharat trains between Delhi and Agra are likely to return to their original operating speed of 160 kmph, up from the current 130 kmph, once safety trials of the newly installed Kavach automatic train protection system are completed. Agra Divisional Railway Manager Gagan Goyal told the Times of India on 11 November 2026 that the trials are underway and speeds will be raised after a green light from RDSO. For travellers, a faster Delhi-Agra run means the classic Taj Mahal day trip gets easier again.
What the railway official said
Goyal said trains on the section currently run at a maximum of 130 kmph. The Kavach ATP system has been installed on the track for enhanced safety, and the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) is conducting trials. Once the trials clear, the railway will work to restore 160 kmph operations between Delhi and Agra.
According to an RTI reply from Indian Railways, the trains currently capped at 130 kmph on the route are numbers 12049, 12050, 12001, 12002, 20171, 20172, 22469 and 22470, which cover the Gatimaan Express, the New Delhi-Rani Kamalapati Shatabdi and the Vande Bharat services.
Why speeds were cut, and what changes now
Gatimaan, India's first semi-high-speed train, was launched in April 2016 to cover Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt in 100 minutes at 160 kmph; it now runs up to Jhansi. The Vande Bharat services also ran at 160 kmph on this section earlier, while the Shatabdi ran at 150 kmph. Speeds were later capped at 130 kmph until a modern train-protection system was in place.
Kavach is an indigenously developed automatic train protection system certified to Safety Integrity Level 4. With installation complete on this route, the remaining step is the RDSO trial process.
What it means for your Agra trip
1. Nothing changes today. Trains are still running at 130 kmph until the trials conclude. Book on current timings.
2. Faster day trips are coming back. At 160 kmph, the Gatimaan covered Delhi-Agra in about 100 minutes, making a same-day Taj Mahal visit comfortable even for older travellers.
3. Watch for revised timings. When the speed is restored, arrival and departure times may shift by a few minutes. Recheck your train's schedule closer to your travel date.
A note from The Trip Keeper
For families taking parents to see the Taj Mahal, the morning train to Agra is often the easiest way to do it: no highway fatigue, home by dinner. A return to 160 kmph brings that comfort back. We will update this post when the railways announce the new timings.
Last verified: 12 November 2026. Source: ETInfra (The Economic Times) (11 November 2026), quoting Agra Divisional Railway Manager Gagan Goyal and an Indian Railways RTI reply. The speed restoration awaits RDSO trial clearance; timings have not changed yet.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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