Thursday, 14 November 2013

Express trains in India

Mail/Express trains are Regular Express rail service of India. Express trains make small number of stops, unlike Passenger/Local train. In some cases, trains run express where there is overlapping local train service available, and run local at the tail ends of the line, where there is no supplemental local service. Because of their limited stops, these trains are able to obtain the highest speeds of any trains in India.
The fastest train in India is Bhopal Shatabdi between New Delhi – Bhopal Junction with a maximum speed of 161 km/h (100 mph) and an average speed of 87.17 km/h (56.5 mph), excluding stops. The Duronto Express trains introduced in 2009 (which run between major cities without any intermediate halts) are projected to be the fastest train in India when new services are introduced with a higher speed limit of 130 km/h. Despite being limited to a lower speed limit, they take as much time as a Rajdhani or Shatabdi on the same route, courtesy the non-stop nature of their journey (see Tracks and Speed sections). Rajdhani Express which connects New Delhi with the state capitals in India was introduced in 1969, travels at speeds up to 130 km/h.

Competition

Like elsewhere, railways in India compete with air travel and road transport. The advantages of travelling by air between cities are the greater frequency of flights, and shorter travel time. Rail travel, with few exceptions (if any), offers lower cost.
Rail transport also faces competition from the use of roads improved under National Highways Development Project. People owning cars can, for short distances, benefit in terms of shorter travel time, given the lack of commute to and fro a railway station at both ends of a journey. This is also balanced against the need to maintain one's vehicle and its security during such trips.

Tracks

Duronto, Shatabdi, and Rajdhani trains run on Indian broad-gauge which is 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm). These tracks are multi-purpose supporting all passenger and freight traffic, and are not made exclusively for lighter load fast-express passenger trains. They run on tracks with classifications Group A, permitting speed up to 160 km/h, and Group B for speed up to 130 km/h. Lower speed limits apply when they are on tracks or railway switches, which have lower speed limits. The design of the railway switches, with a speed limit of 15–75 km/h, is the major bottleneck to higher speed.[2] Another constraint is the need to accommodate freight trains at the current top speed of 70 km/h.[3] These constraints to speed are consequences of sharing tracks with freight and lower speed suburban passenger trains. But currently, as of 2010, a separate freight corridor construction work is in progress with land acquisitions and other hurdles being slowly overcome.

Locomotives

Duronto, Shatabdi, and Rajdhani trains are hauled by powerful electric locomotives built by the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, such as WAP-4, WAP-5, or WAP-7, each with an output of more than 5,000 hp. WAP-5 design originated from Bombardier-Adtranz-ABB, and it is capable of pulling trains to speed of 160 km/h without modification.[4][5] WAP-7 is more powerful, and can haul longer trains, to a speed of 140 km/h.[5][6]

Coaches

The coaches in these trains are of crash-worthy design from Alstom-LHB, built by Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala.[7][8] These Alstom-LHB coaches can be pulled to a speed of 160 km/h without any modification.[9] New fast-express coaches are made partly or completely of stainless steel, primarily motivated by lower maintenance, and higher availability. Stainless steel construction also reduces empty weight, enabling more passengers per coach.[10] The bogies, design from Fiat, has 2 disk brakes per axle[9] essential for safe operations especially at the speed of fast-express trains.

Speed

The average speed of fast trains range from 59 to 93 km/h. Of 80 routes (each direction counting as one route) in the Indian schedule, 3 are 90 km/h or faster, 15 have an average speed between 80 and 90 km/h, 16 are below 70 km/h, remaining 45 have an average speed between 70 and 80 km/h. The speed of express trains is calculated from Indian Railways schedule.
Sl Train No Train Type Source – Destination Zone Stops Total stop time-h:m Distance- km (mile) Total time-h:m Avg Speed km/h (mph) [excluding halts] Remarks
1 12002 Shatabdi New Delhi – Bhopal NR 5 0:21 701 (436) 8:05 91.85 (57.06) Fastest Shatabdi & fastest train in India
2 12951 Rajdhani Mumbai Central – New Delhi WR 4 0:30 1384 (860) 15:57 91.56 (56.81) Fastest Rajdhani Train in India
3 12259 Duronto Sealdah – New Delhi ER 3 0:20 1453 (906) 16:20 91.13 (56.62) Fastest Duronto
4 12034 Shatabdi New Delhi – Kanpur NCR 1 0:02 441 (274) 4:55 89.63 (56.02)
5 12302 Rajdhani New Delhi – Howrah ER 6 0:28 1447 (902) 16:55 88.21 (54.81)
6 12274 Duronto New Delhi – Howrah ER 3 0:20 1441 (902) 17:10 87.06 (54.1)
7 12276 Duronto New Delhi – Allahabad NCR 1 0:02 634 (394) 7:20 86.85 (53.97)
8 12313 Rajdhani Sealdah – New Delhi ER 6 0:32 1458 (906) 17:30 85.93 (53.4)
9 12910 Garib Rath H. Nizamuddin – Bandra WR 7 0:36 1366 (849) 16:30 85.91 (53.38) Fastest Garib Rath
10 12004 Shatabdi New Delhi – Lucknow (Swarna Shatabdi) NR 5 0:13 513 (319) 6:15 85.03 (52.83)
11 12247 Yuva H. Nizamuddin – Bandra WR 5 0:32 1366 (849) 16:40 84.67 (52.61) Fastest Yuva Express
12 12953 Rajdhani Mumbai Central – H. Nizamuddin (August Kranti) WR 12 0:49 1377 (856) 17:00 84 (52.50)
13 12249 Yuva Howrah – New Delhi ER 5 0:24 1447 (899) 17:40 83.80 (52.07)
15 12309 Rajdhani Rajendranagar – New Delhi ECR 4 0:18 1002 (623) 12:35 81.57 (50.69)
16 12285 Duronto Secunderabad- H. Nizamuddin SCR 4 0:35 1658 (1030) 21:05 80.88 (50.26)
17 12281 Duronto Bhubaneswar – New Delhi ECoR 4 0:30 1726 (1072) 21:55 80.59 (50.08)
18 12306 Rajdhani New Delhi – Howrah ER 6 0:36 1531 (951) 19:40 80.30 (49.89)
19 12290 Duronto Mumbai CST – Nagpur CR 3 0:32 838 (521) 11:00 80.06 (49.75)
20 12269 Duronto Chennai – H. Nizamuddin SR 6 0:35 2174 (1351) 27:55 79.54 (49.42)
21 12439 Rajdhani Ranchi – New Delhi NR 6 0:25 1309 (813) 16:55 79.33 (49.3)
22 12612 Garib Rath H. Nizamuddin – Chennai SR 9 0:46 2174 (1351) 28:15 79.10 (49.15)
23 12437 Rajdhani Secunderabad – H. Nizamuddin NR 5 0:37 1658 (1030) 21:35 79.08 (49.14)
24 12187 Garib Rath Jabalpur Junction – Mumbai CST WCR 10 0:48 1726 (1072) 22:40 78.93 (49.05)
25 12224 Duronto Ernakulam – Lokmanya Tilak (T) CR 4 0:30 1598 (993) 20:45 78.91 (49.03) The length of Konkan Railway is inflated by 40% to calculate fare
26 12213 Duronto Yesvantpur – Sarai Rohilla NR 7 0:50 2384 (1481) 31:10 78.59 (48.84)
27 12877 Garib Rath Ranchi – New Delhi SER 11 0:31 1341 (833) 17:40 78.19 (48.59)
28 12264 Duronto H. Nizamuddin – Pune NR 6 0:42 1509 (938) 20:00 78.19 (48.58)
29 12262 Duronto Howrah – Mumbai CST SER 5 0:50 1968 (1223) 26:10 77.68 (48.27)
30 12453 Rajdhani Ranchi – New Delhi NR 4 0:22 1341 (833) 17:40 77.51 (48.17)
31 12222 Duronto Howrah – Pune SER 6 1:10 2021 (1256) 27:15 77.48 (48.15)
32 12156 Superfast Hazrat Nizamuddin – Bhopal Habibganj WCR 7 0:48 800 (635) 10:15 78.33 (48.05)
33 22824 Rajdhani New Delhi – Bhubaneswar ECoR 10 0:51 1800 (1118) 24:10 77.20 (47.97)
34 12009 Shatabdi Mumbai Central – Ahmedabad WR 7 0:20 493 (306) 6:45 76.83 (47.74)
35 12060 Jan Shatabdi Hazrat Nizamuddin – Kota WCR 8 0:22 458 (285) 6:20 76.76 (47.7) Fastest Jan Shatabdi Express
36 12243 Duronto Chennai – Coimbatore SR 1 0:10 496 (308) 6:40 76.31 (47.42)
37 12013 Shatabdi New Delhi – Amritsar NR 5 0:11 449 (279) 6:05 76.10 (47.29)
38 12029 Shatabdi New Delhi – Amritsar NR 5 0:11 449 (279) 6:05 76.10 (47.29)
39 12031 Shatabdi New Delhi – Amritsar NR 5 0:11 449 (279) 6:05 76.10 (47.29) Northern regional express
40 12268 Duronto Ahmedabad – Mumbai Central WR 0 0:00 493 (306) 6:30 75.85 (47.13) Western regional express
41 22203 Duronto Visakhapatnam – Secunderabad SCR 1 0:15 701 (436) 09:30 75.78 (47.08) Fastest train in Andhra Pradesh
42 22424 Rajdhani New Delhi – Guwahati NR 11 1:31 1908 (1186) 27:20 73.91 (45.92)
43 12429 Rajdhani H. Nizamuddin – Bangalore NR 11 1:02 2383 (1481) 33:30 73.40 (45.61)
44 12026 Shatabdi Secunderabad – Pune CR 6 0:12 597 (371) 8:20 73.40 (45.61)
45 12028 Shatabdi Bangalore – Chennai SWR 2 0:04 362 (225) 5:00 73.38 (45.6)
46 12024 Jan Shatabdi Patna – Howrah ECR 12 0:24 532 (331) 7:40 73.21 (45.49) Eastern regional express
47 12007 Shatabdi Chennai – Mysore SR 1 0:10 500 (311) 7:00 73.17 (45.47)
48 12155 Superfast Habibganj – H. Nizamuddin (Shaan – E – Bhopal) WCR 8 0:29 701 (436) 10:05 73.02 (45.37) Fastest Superfast train
49 12278 Duronto Puri-Howrah ECoR 2 0:20 500 (311) 7:15 72.29 (44.92)
50 12394 Superfast New Delhi – Rajendranagar (Sampoorna Kranti Express) ECR 2 0:10 1002 (623) 14:05 72.00 (44.74)
51 12227 Duronto Indore – Mumbai Central WR 3 0:28 828 (514) 12:00 71.79 (44.61)
52 12397 Superfast Gaya – New Delhi (Mahabodhi Express) ER 13 0:40 993 (617) 14:30 71.78 (44.6)
53 12415 Superfast Indore – Hazrat Nizamuddin NR 17 1:27 818 (720) 11:27 71.41 (44.37)
54 12676 Superfast Coimbatore – Chennai (Kovai Express) SR 10 0:23 496 (308) 7:20 71.37 (44.35)
55 12431 Rajdhani Thiruvananthapuram – H. Nizamuddin NR 15 1:25 2847 (1769) 41:25 71.18 (44.23) The length of Konkan Railway is inflated by 40% to calculate fare
56 12074 Jan Shatabdi Bhubaneswar – Howrah ECoR 7 0:21 437 (272) 6:30 71.06 (44.15)
57 12042 Shatabdi New Jalpaiguri – Howrah NFR 3 0:09 566 (352) 8:00 70.75 (43.96) Fastest End-to-End EMD diesel hauled Shatabdi Express
58 12452 Superfast New Delhi – Kanpur (Shram Shakti Express) NR 0 0:00 441 (274) 6:15 70.56 (43.84)
59 12493 Rajdhani H. Nizamuddin – Bangalore NR 7 0:57 2293 (1425) 33:30 70.45 (43.77)
60 12303 Superfast Howrah – New Delhi (Poorva Express) ER 22 1:22 1531 (951) 23:10 70.23 (43.64)
61 12246 Duronto Yesvantpur – Howrah SER 4 0:50 1960 (1218) 28:45 70.21 (43.63)
62 12005 Shatabdi New Delhi – Kalka NR 3 0:15 269 (167) 4:05 70.17 (43.6) The length is inflated by 34 km to calculate fare
63 12958 Rajdhani New Delhi – Ahmedabad (Swarna Jayanti) WR 6 0:19 935 (581) 13:40 70.04 (43.52)
64 12423 Rajdhani Dibrugarh – New Delhi NR 17 2:36 2473 (1537) 37:55 70.02 (43.51)
Regular unbranded express trains on the same route are only slightly slower, since the same locomotives haul them.

Image Gallery

  • 12322 Mumbai Mail Superfast Express at Barddhaman Junction
  • 12510 Kaziranga Superfast Express (SBC-Guwahati) at Bagnan (pic by Sarbamit Chowdhury)
  • 12105 Vidarbha Superfast Express at Chandur
  • 12073 (Howrah-Bhubaneswar) Jan Shatabdi Express (pic by Sarbamit Chowdhury)
  • 12727 Godavari Superfast Express at Marripalem
  • 12619 Matsyaganda Superfast Express
  • Howrah Duronto Express
  • 12113 Garib Rath Express at Nagpur
  • 17036 Telangana Express at Moulali
  • 17058 Devgiri Express at Secunderabad
  • 18237 Chattisgarh Express
  • 15483 Mahananda Express at Siliguri Town (pic by Sarbamit Chowdhury)
  • 18625 (Patna-Hatia) Express (pic by Sarbamit Chowdhury)
  • 12864 Yesvantpur-Howrah Superfast Express at Marripalem
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