Black Diamond Express
The 22387 / 22388 Black Diamond Express is a Superfast express train of Indian Railways, with effect from 1 July 2013, connecting Howrah with Dhanbad. It is a day train and covers 271 kilometres (168 mi) at an average speed of 54 km/h (34 mph). It has AC chair car, second-class sitting, & general type of coaches. All classes except general class require prior reservation, whereas general coaches can be boarded with a general daily ticket. No pantry car is available in the train. The Tatkal scheme is available in this train.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Superfast |
| Locale | West Bengal & Jharkhand |
| Current operator(s) | East Central Railways |
| Route | |
| Termini | Howrah (HWH) Dhanbad Junction (DHN) |
| Stops | 14 |
| Distance travelled | 271 km (168 mi) |
| Average journey time | 4 hours 55 minutes |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Train number(s) | 22387 / 22388 |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | CC Class, 2nd Seating, General Unreserved |
| Seating arrangements | Yes |
| Sleeping arrangements | No |
| Catering facilities | E-catering |
| Other facilities | Below the seats |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | ICF coach |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Operating speed | 54 km/h (34 mph) average with halts |
| Rake maintenance | Dhanbad Jn |
| Rake sharing | NA |
Major stations through which it passes are Sheorapheuli Junction, Bandel, Barddhaman Junction, Durgapur, Andal, Asansol etc.
It is hauled by a WAP-4 locomotive of Electric Loco Shed, Howrah. It is the twin train of the Coalfield Express, which runs from Dhanbad to Howrah as well. However, it runs through the Howrah–Bardhaman main line while Coalfield Express goes through the Howrah–Bardhaman chord. It is an important train, and runs during the office hours, hence it receives a high priority run.
As such, the train serves as a link between towns such as Bandel, Sheoraphuli, which are located on the main line with industrial centers Durgapur, Asansol, Dhanbad and Bokaro (via Dhanbad) and the metropolis of Kolkata.
Route & Halts
It runs from Howrah via Seoraphuli, Bandel, Barddhaman, Mankar, Panagarh, Durgapur, Waria, Andal, Raniganj, Asansol, Sitarampur, Kulti, Barakar, Kumardubi to Dhanbad.
Accidents
On April 20, 2016, 22387 UP train's locomotive broke down shortly after leaving Barddhaman.
