Kerala Express
The 02625 / 02626 Kerala SF Special is a daily Superfast Express train of the Indian Railways that runs between New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala state. It is currently the longest-running daily Superfast train of Indian Railways (3027 km) and second-longest daily train in country after Avadh Assam Express (3115 km).[3] It is the second direct train to Kerala (1977) from the national capital Delhi after Jayanti Janata Express (1973) and first direct train connecting the state capital and Southern Kerala with New Delhi.
| Overview | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service type | Express | ||||
| First service | 1977 (split train as Kerala–Karnataka (KK) Express )[1] 1983 (as separate train, Kerala Express)[2] | ||||
| Current operator(s) | Southern Railways | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Start | New Delhi (NDLS) | ||||
| Stops | 41 | ||||
| End | Thiruvananthapuram Central (TVC) | ||||
| Distance travelled | 3,031 km (1,883 mi) | ||||
| Average journey time | 50 hours 30 minutes | ||||
| Service frequency | Daily | ||||
| Train number(s) | 12625 / 12626 | ||||
| On-board services | |||||
| Class(es) | AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier, Sleeper class, Unreserved/General | ||||
| Seating arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Catering facilities | Available | ||||
| Observation facilities | Large windows | ||||
| Technical | |||||
| Rolling stock | LHB coaches | ||||
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
| Operating speed | 130 km/h (81 mph) maximum, 61 km/h (38 mph) average including halts | ||||
| Rake maintenance | Kochuveli | ||||
| |||||
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HistoryEdit
The Kerala Express was introduced in 1977 as a split train named Kerala–Karnataka (KK) Express.[4] The composition of Karnataka–Kerala Express has been increased from 14 coaches to 21 coaches with effect from 29 January 1981.[5]
Kerala Express since running independently, briefly had a slip service to Mangalore (1988 till 1993) where a portion of the train used to amalgamate/bifurcate at Palakkad Junction to run as 2625A/2626A Link Mangala Exp. This continued until Mangala Exp was made an independent train in 1993 numbered 2617/18.
The train is running with LHB rakes with effect from 4 November 2018.[6]
On 10 June 2019, during the 2019 Indian heat wave, four pilgrims from Tamil Nadu died due to heat exposure in the Kerala Express as it traveled south through the Bundelkhand, before the train arrived at Jhansi Junction.[7][8]
Route & HaltsEdit
It is run from Thiruvananthapuram Central via Kollam, Ernakulam Town, Thrissur, Palakkad Junction, Coimbatore Main, Erode, Katpadi Junction, Renigunta, Gudur, Vijayawada, Warangal, Balharshah, Nagpur, Itarsi Junction, Bhopal Junction, Jhansi Junction, Gwalior, Agra Cantonment, Mathura, Hazrat Nizamuddin to New Delhi.
The halts for this Train (02625) are as follows:
1) Thiruvananthapuram Central
2) Varkala Sivagiri
3) Kollam Junction
4) Kayankulam Junction
5) Mavelikara
6) Chengannur
7) Tiruvalla
8) Changanaseri
9) Kottayam
10) Vaikom Road
11) Ernakulam Town
12) Aluva
13) Thrissur
14) Ottappalam
15) Palakkad Junction
16) Coimbatore Junction
17) Tiruppur
18) Erode Junction
19) Salem Junction
20) Jolarpettai
21) Katpadi Junction
22) Chittoor
23) Tirupati Main
24) Renigunta Junction
25) Gudur Junction
26) Nellore
27) Vijaywada Junction
28) Warangal
29) Ramagundam
30) Balharshah
31) Chandrapur
32) Sevagram
33) Nagpur
34) Itarsi Junction
35) Bhopal Junction
36) Bina Junction
37) Jhansi Junction
38) Gwalior Junction
39) Agra Cantt
40) Mathura Junction
41) Faridabad
42) Hazrat Nizamuddin
43) New Delhi
TractionEdit
It is hauled by a Royapuram / Erode based WAP 7 locomotive from end to end.
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ "Railway Budget speech 1977-78 (interim)" (PDF). www.indianrailways.gov.in. Ministry of Railways. 28 March 1977.
- ↑ "Railway Budget speech 1983-84" (PDF). www.indianrailways.gov.in. Ministry of Railways. 24 March 1983.
- ↑ Longest trains, List of (2013). "Statistical Summary Indian Railways" (PDF). www.indianrailways.gov.in/.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Interim, Railway Budget (28 March 1977). "Interim Railway Budget Madhu Dandavate" (PDF). www.indianrailways.gov.in.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Railway Budget speech 1981-82" (PDF). www.indianrailways.gov.in. Ministry of Railways. 19 February 1981.
- ↑ "Kerala misses out on promised trains, backup coaches as authorities turn a blind eye". OnManorama. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ "Four pilgrims from Tamil Nadu die in train near Jhansi". The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 11 June 2019. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ↑ Jun 12, Agencies / Updated; 2019; Ist, 06:00. "Heatwave claims 4 on Kerala Express". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)