Gour Express

Gour Express

Gour Express over a railway bridge
Overview
Service type	Express
Locale	West Bengal, Jharkhand
First service	20 April 1980 (20 April 1980)
Current operator(s)	Eastern Railways
Route
Start	Sealdah (SDAH)
Stops	12 up to Malda Town
End	Malda (MLDT)
Distance travelled	350 km (217 mi)
Average journey time	7 hours 45 minutes in up direction, 7 hours 50 minutes in down direction.
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	13153/13154 (to Malda Town)
On-board services
Class(es)	First AC, Second AC, Third AC, Sleeper, Unreserved
Seating arrangements	Available
Sleeping arrangements	Available
Auto-rack arrangements	Available
Observation facilities	Large windows
Baggage facilities	Available
Technical
Rolling stock	ICF coaches
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	44 km/h (27 mph) average with halts

Gour Express is an express train of the Indian Railways connecting Kolkata with the city of Malda, West Bengal. The train covers a distance of 350 km (217 mi) up to Malda with the numbers 13153/54. Previously there was an additional link service of 109 km (68 mi) (from Malda to Balurghat) which used to run with the 55421/22 Malda Town–Balurghat passenger.

Timeline

The Gour Express commenced operations as a triweekly express service between Sealdah and Malda from 20 April 1980. The train proved successful and the then railway minister A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury played a key role in increasing the frequency of the service. On 2 October 1982, he flagged off the first run of the train as a daily service.

Through coaches to Balurghat were added to the train after the completion of the broad-gauge rail link to Balurghat in 2004 (now closed).

Important stoppages

• Sealdah
• Bidhannagar Road
• Naihati Junction
• Bandel Junction
• Barddhaman Junction
• Bolpur Shantiniketan
• Ahmadpur Junction
• Sainthia Junction
• Rampurhat Junction
• Nalhati Junction
• Murarai
• Rajgram (only for 13154 service)
• Pakur
• New Farakka Junction
• Malda Town

Gour Link Express stoppage

• Old Malda Junction
• Adina
• Eklakhi Junction
• Gazole
• Mahanagar
• Deotala
• Daulatpur Hat
• Buniadpur
• Gangarampur
• Malancha
• Rampur Bazar
• Mallickpurhat
• Balurghat

Timings

1. 13153 leaves Sealdah around 22:15 everyday and reaches Malda Town at 5:55 next day.
2. 13154 departs Malda Town around 21:35 everyday and reaches Sealdah at 5:00 next day.

Coach composition

The train consists of 22 passenger coaches. The train runs with the following coach composition -

• 1 Composite 1st A/C – A/C 2 tier coach
• 3 A/C 2-tier coaches
• 2 A/C 3-tier coaches
• 12 Non-A/C sleeper coaches
• 2 Unreserved sleeper coaches (UR)
• 2 Luggage-cum-Guard coaches with unreserved seating (SLR)

Of these, one Luggage-cum-Guard, one unreserved sleeper, three reserved non-A/C sleeper, one A/C 3-tier and one A/C 2-tier coach were used for the through service between Sealdah and Balurghat (now closed).

Traction

As the route from Sealdah to Malda is fully electrified, it is hauled by a Howrah/Sealdah-based WAP-4/WAP-7 throughout its entire journey.

See also

• Sealdah railway station
• Malda Town railway station
• Gangarampur railway station
• Balurghat railway station