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{{Use Indian English|date=October 2017}}<br />
{{Infobox rail service<br />
| name = Grand Trunk Express<br />
| image= G.T Express Trainboard 1.jpg<br />
| image_width = 250px<br />
| caption = <br />
| type = [[Superfast Express trains in India|Superfast Express]]<br />
| locale = <br />
| first = {{start date and age|df=yes|1929|04|01}}<br />
| last = <br />
| operator = [[Southern Railway zone|Southern Railways]]<br />
| ridership = <br />
| start = [[Chennai Central]] '''(MAS)'''<br />
| stops = 40 <br />
| end = [[New Delhi railway station|New Delhi]] '''(NDLS)'''<br />
| distance = {{convert|2182|km|0|abbr=on}}<br />
| journeytime = 35 hours 15 minutes<br />
| frequency = Daily<br />
| class = AC First, AC Two Tier, AC Three Tier, Sleeper Class, Unreserved<br />
| seating = Yes<br />
| sleeping = Yes<br />
| autorack = <br />
| catering = Yes<br />
| observation = Large and Small windows<br />
| entertainment = <br />
| baggage = Luggage-cum-Brake Van<br />
| otherfacilities= <br />
| stock = [[ICF Coaches]]<br />
| gauge = {{RailGauge|1676mm}}<br />
| el = <br />
| trainnumber = 12615 / 12616<br />
| speed = {{convert|62|km/h|0|abbr=on}} average with halts<br />
| map = [[File:Grand Trunk Express and Tamil Nadu Express (NDLS-MAS) Route map.jpg|300px]]<br />
| map_state = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
The 12615 / 12616 '''Grand Trunk Express''' (commonly called '''G.T.''' or '''G.T. Express''') is a daily [[Superfast Express trains in India|Superfast Express]] train on [[Indian Railways]], running between [[New Delhi railway station|New Delhi]] and [[Chennai Central]]. It is a historic train and is one of the oldest trains starting services in 1929. It originally ran between [[Peshawar]] in [[Pakistan]] (then capital of the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–55)|North West Frontier]] Province) and [[Mangalore Central]] in [[Karnataka]] (then in the [[Madras Presidency]]).{{citation needed |date=October 2019}}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
For most of the 19th century, the main railway route from [[Madras]] to [[Calcutta]] and [[Delhi]] was through [[Bombay]]. The Madras-Bombay mail train carried through carriages between Madras and [[Manmad]] which were detached at [[Daund]]. Passengers would then transfer to the [[Great Indian Peninsular Railway]]'s Calcutta mail at Manmad to proceed to the northern and the eastern parts of the country. The [[Howrah–Chennai main line|East Coast line]] between [[Madras]] and [[Calcutta]] opened in 1900, providing a shorter route for the passengers bound to Calcutta, but the passengers bound to [[Delhi]], [[Lahore]] and other major cities in the north, continued to rely on the Madras-Manmad mail service.<br />
<br />
A record in through train running was set in 1921 by a military train conveying families of a regiment from Peshawar to [[Cannanore]] (now Kannur in [[Kerala]]). The journey represented a continuous run of over 2500 miles over the [[North Western Railway (British India)]], [[Great Indian Peninsular Railway]], [[Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway]] and the [[South Indian Railway]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Locomotive Railway Carriage and Wagon Review, Volume: XXVII.-January-December, 1921|year=1921|publisher=The Locomotive Publishing Company, Limited|location=3, Amen Corner, Paternoster row, E.C.4|page=5}}</ref> Following this record journey, interest in a shorter through route between [[Madras]] and [[Delhi]] was rekindled and the [[Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway]] hastened the construction of the missing rail link between [[Kazipet]] and [[Balharshah Junction railway station|Balharshah]]. The link was opened throughout on 15 November 1928 with the commissioning of the [[Komaram Bheem, Telangana|Komaram Bheem]] Road - [[Balharshah Junction railway station|Balharshah]] section.<ref>{{cite book|title=Report by the Railway board on Indian Railways for 1928-29:Volume I|year=1930|publisher=Central Publication Branch, Government of India|location=Calcutta|page=28|chapter=III}}</ref> This link reduced the distance between [[Madras]] and [[Delhi]] by over 200 miles.<br />
<br />
From 1 April 1929 the 'Grand Trunk' express commenced operating as two through carriages running between [[Peshawar]] in the [[North Western Railway (British India)]] and [[Mangalore]] in the [[South Indian Railway]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Report by the Railway board on Indian Railways for 1929-30:Volume I|year=1930|publisher=Central Publication Branch, Government of India|location=Calcutta|page=71|chapter=VIII}}</ref> The two coaches, consisting of a composite First and Second class coach and a composite Third class and Luggage coach, made their way to [[Madras]] attached to the [[South Indian Railway]]'s Mangalore-Madras mail train. Between Madras and [[Itarsi]] sectional coaches to [[Itarsi]], Bezwada (now [[Vijayawada]]) and [[Hyderabad]] were operated. At Itarsi, the two through coaches from Mangalore were attached to the Great Indian Peninsular Railway's Bombay-Delhi service. In the final leg of the journey between [[Delhi]] and [[Peshawar]], the two through carriages were attached to the [[Golden Temple Mail|Frontier mail]] and reached Peshawar traveling through [[Bathinda]], [[Ferozepore]] and [[Lahore]]. Thus the train covered a distance of 2497 miles in a little over 96 hours. This was not an independent train and the name 'Grand Trunk express' only referred to the 2 through carriages operating between Mangalore and Peshawar.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Railway Magazine:Volume 64|year=1929|publisher=IPC Business Press|page=490}}</ref><br />
<br />
Shortly after the inauguration of the service, from 15 October 1929, the two through carriages operating between Mangalore and Peshawar were restricted to run between [[Mettupalayam, Coimbatore|Mettupalayam]] and [[Delhi]]. From 1 March 1930, the service was extended to Lahore.<ref>{{cite book|title=Report by the Railway board on Indian Railways for 1929-30:Volume I|year=1930|publisher=Central Publication Branch, Government of India|location=Calcutta|page=71|chapter=VIII}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Classic Trains of India|url=http://irfca.org/~shankie/famoustrains/famtraingt.htm|work=Indian Railways Fan Club Association|accessdate=5 November 2013|author=S. Shankar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504053951/http://irfca.org/~shankie/famoustrains/famtraingt.htm|archive-date=4 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
<br />
As the train consisted of only 2 through coaches, it proved insufficient to meet the traffic requirements. In addition, the train's schedule depended on the schedules of the trains carrying the through carriages, and was thus subject to regular delays. This led to a revision in the operation of the train and the revamped 'Grand Trunk express' commenced operating as a dedicated daily train between Madras and Delhi from 1 September 1930.<ref>{{cite book|title=Report by the Railway board on Indian Railways for 1930-31:Volume I|year=1932|publisher=Central Publication Branch, Government of India|location=Calcutta|page=36|chapter=IV}}</ref> The rakes used for the train were supplied by the [[Great Indian Peninsular Railway]] for the next few years.<br />
<br />
Until the mid 1960s, the Grand Trunk express completed the 1360 mile journey between [[Madras]] and [[New Delhi]] in about 50 hours. After the introduction of the [[Dakshin Express]] in 1968, the Grand trunk express was moved to a faster schedule. For a few years after the change in schedule, the train operated as a fully air-conditioned service for two days every week and with a mixed consist on the remaining 5 days. In time, the air-conditioned service was discontinued. Today, the train covers the 2183 kilometer journey in 35 hours and 15 minutes, with 40 halts (exclusive of the terminals) at an average speed of 62kmph.<br />
<br />
From 10 December 2015, the train started terminating at [[Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway station|Delhi Sarai Rohilla]] instead of [[New Delhi railway station|New Delhi]].<ref name="NDLStoDEE">{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Grand-Trunk-Express-train-to-be-operated-from-Delhi-Sarai-Rohilla-railway-station/articleshow/48792063.cms |title=Grand Trunk Express train to be operated from Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway station |date=3 September 2015 |accessdate=2015-09-05 |location=Chennai |work=[[Times of India]]}}</ref> From 12 May 2018, the terminal was reverted to [[New Delhi railway station|New Delhi]].<ref name="DEEtoNDLS">{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indian-railways-shifts-terminals-of-18-train/articleshow/64253859.cms|title=Indian Railway shifts terminals of 18 trains|date=21 May 2018|work=[[Times of India]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Schedule and Service==<br />
<br />
The train passes through the states of [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Telangana]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Haryana]] and [[Delhi]].{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}<br />
<br />
As per the numbering of the Indian Railways, the train has been assigned the numbers 12615/12616, with 12615 being assigned for the [[Chennai Central]] ('''MAS''') - [[New Delhi]] ('''NDLS''') run and 12616 for the [[New Delhi]] ('''NDLS''') - [[Chennai Central]] ('''MAS''') run.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}<br />
<br />
It runs with standard ICF Coaches. It has totally 24 coaches. <br />
<br />
* 1 AC First Cum AC Two Tier<br />
* 3 AC Two Tier<br />
* 2 AC Three Tier<br />
* 13 Sleeper Class<br />
* 1 Pantry Car<br />
* 2 General Unreserved<br />
* 2 Luggage Cum Disabled Coach<br />
<br />
<br />
It shares its rake with two trains. <br />
<br />
12621 / 12622 Chennai Central - New Delhi Tamil Nadu Superfast Express<br />
<br />
<br />
12669 / 12670 Chennai Central - Chhapra Ganga Kaveri Bi-weekly Superfast Express<br />
<br />
==Route & Halts==<br />
The important halts of Grand Trunk Express are;<br />
<br />
* '''{{rws|Chennai Central}}'''<br />
* {{rws|Gudur}}<br />
* {{rws|Nellore}}<br />
* {{rws|Vijayawada}}<br />
* {{rws|Warangal}}<br />
* {{rws|Sirpur Kaghaznagar}}<br />
* {{rws|Balharshah}}<br />
* {{rws|Sewagram Junction}}<br />
* {{rws|Nagpur}}<br />
* {{rws|Betul}}<br />
* {{rws|Itarsi Junction}}<br />
* {{rws|Bhopal Junction}}<br />
* {{rws|Bina}}<br />
* {{rws|Jhansi Junction}}<br />
* {{rws|Gwalior}}<br />
* {{rws|Dholpur}}<br />
* {{rws|Agra Cantonment}}<br />
* {{rws|Mathura}}<br />
* {{rws|Hazrat Nizamuddin}}<br />
* '''{{rws|New Delhi}}'''<br />
<br />
==Traction==<br />
It is hauled by a [[Electric Loco Shed, Royapuram|Royapuram]] based [[WAP 7]] or [[Electric Loco Shed, Arakkonam|Arakkonam]] / [[Electric Loco Shed, Erode|Erode]] based [[WAP 4]] locomotive on its entire journey.<br />
<br />
== Gallery ==<br />
<gallery><br />
<br />
File:Grand Trunk Express - AC 2 tier coach.jpg |Grand Trunk Express - AC 2 tier coach<br />
File:Grand Trunk Express with Erode based WAP 4.jpg |Grand Trunk Express with [[Erode Junction railway station|Erode]] based [[WAP 4]]<br />
File:Grand Trunk Express - Train board.jpg |Grand Trunk Express - Train board<br />
File:Grand Trunk Express - AC 2 tier coach - A3.jpg |Grand Trunk Express - AC 2 tier coach - A3<br />
File:Grand Trunk Express - AC 3 tier coach.jpg |Grand Trunk Express - AC 3 tier coach<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Andaman Express]]<br />
* [[Vivek Express]]<br />
* [[Himsagar Express]]<br />
* [[Kerala Express]]<br />
* [[Thirukural Express]]<br />
* [[Ganga Kaveri Express]]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
{{commons category|Grand Trunk Express}}<br />
* [http://www.indianrail.gov.in Indian Railways Official Site]<br />
* [http://indiarailinfo.com/train/map/563/664/35 GT Express Route Map]<br />
<br />
{{Railways in Southern India}}<br />
{{Railways in Northern India}}<br />
{{Historical trains in India}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Trunk Expres}}<br />
[[Category:Transport in Chennai]]<br />
[[Category:Transport in Delhi]]<br />
[[Category:Named passenger trains of India]]<br />
[[Category:Express trains in India]]<br />
[[Category:Rail transport in Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:Rail transport in Madhya Pradesh]]<br />
[[Category:Rail transport in Andhra Pradesh]]<br />
[[Category:Rail transport in Telangana]]<br />
[[Category:Rail transport in Delhi]]<br />
[[Category:Rail transport in Uttar Pradesh]]<br />
[[Category:Rail transport in Rajasthan]]<br />
[[Category:Rail transport in Haryana]]<br />
[[Category:Railway services introduced in 1929]]</div>>Vatsmaxed