Howrah–Chennai Mail
The 12839 / 12840 Howrah–Chennai Mail is a mail train of Indian Railways connecting Howrah Junction and Chennai Central. It connects three metropolitan cities of India, Kolkata, Chennai and Visakhapatnam. It also runs via some major cities of India like Bhubaneswar, Vijayawada, etc.
| Overview | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service type | |||||
| Locale | West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu | ||||
| First service | 15 August 1900 | ||||
| Current operator(s) | South Eastern Railway zone | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Termini | Howrah Junction Chennai Central | ||||
| Distance travelled | 1,664 km (1,034 mi) | ||||
| Average journey time | 27 hours Approx. | ||||
| Service frequency | Daily | ||||
| Train number(s) | 12839 / 12840 | ||||
| On-board services | |||||
| Class(es) | AC First, AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, Sleeper Class, General Unreserved | ||||
| Seating arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Catering facilities | Yes | ||||
| Observation facilities | Large windows | ||||
| Baggage facilities | Yes | ||||
| Technical | |||||
| Rolling stock | LHB coach | ||||
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
| Operating speed | 59 km/h (37 mph) average with halts | ||||
| |||||
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History
The train made its inaugural run on 15 August 1900, which makes it one of the oldest running trains on Indian Railways. It was first hauled by steam engines, including the WP class engines, then by diesel, and now by electric WAP-4 or WAP-7 locomotives. It was the first passenger train to be dieselised on South Eastern Railway, in 1964/65. Till the introduction of the Coromandel Express in the mid seventies, it was the main and fastest train link between Howrah and Chennai (then Madras) with much fewer halts. Presently, this train is the second most important train on the Howrah–Chennai main line after the high speed Coromandel Express. It covers 1,664 km (1,034 mi) at an average speed of 59 km/h (37 mph)
Rakes
- 1 First class AC
- 3 AC Two Tier
- 8 AC Three Tier
- 5 Sleeper class
- 1 Pantry car
- 2 General Unreserved
- 1 End on Generation car (EOG)
- 1 Sitting luggage cum brake van (SLR)
| Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
SLR | GS | GS | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | PC | B1 | B2 | B3 | B4 | B5 | B6 | B7 | B8 | A1 | A2 | A3 | H1 | EOG | |
Route
Important stations through which it passes are Kharagpur Junction, Balasore, Cuttack Junction, Bhubaneswar, Khurda Road Junction, Berhampur, Naupada, Srikakulam Road railway station , Visakhapatnam, Samalkot Junction, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Vijayawada Junction, Tenali Junction, Nellore, Gudur Junction.
References