New Delhi (PTI): The country's first Rajdhani express - the Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani - will complete 40 years of service on March 1 and the Railways have geared up to celebrate the occasion with a huge cake and a special menu for passengers.

The first Rajdhani was flagged off from New Delhi station in 1969 as a bi-weekly train to provide faster connectivity between metros. Operating at a speed of 120 kmph, it stopped only at Kanpur, Mughalsarai and Gomoh for operational reasons.

In the course of time, its success led to introduction of Mumbai Rajdhani and several more. Today, as many as 16 Rajdhanis connect Delhi to the state capitals.

The main function will be held at Howrah station, with Railways planning to recreate a festive-like atmosphere at the station complex on March 3, the day when it was flagged off from there.

"The entire train rake will be wrapped with fancy stickers and passengers will be presented with mementos and brochures," said an Eastern Railway official, adding, "the brochures will contain the train's history."

Northern Railway is still to draw up a plan to commemorate the day.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, which serves food only in Rajdhanis, is planning to prepare a special menu to commemorate the day. A huge cake will also be cut before the train departs.

In the course of its history, the Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani has been witness to several ups and downs. While it was involved in a major accident in September 2002 near Gaya, it was also the first Rajdhani to be accorded ISO 22000 certificate for the overall train management.

It was among the first to get state-of-art LHB coaches for enhanced passenger comfort and a new advertising source for multinationals.

As it enters its fortieth year, Railways are now planning to provide Internet facilities in all Rajdhanis and satellite phone connections in a few of them.