#TRAINCYCLOPEDIA
#11
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Name:
12431 / 12432 Rajdhani Express - Hazrat Nizamuddin - Thiruvananthapuram
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ROUTE:
Thiruvananthapuram-Mangalore
Konkan Railway
Panvel-Vasai Rd
Vasai Rd - Nizamuddin
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ETYMOLOGY:
The name of the train signifies"capital". Rajdhani express trains are the overnight passenger trains that offer the fastest connectivity from New Delhi to the respective state capitals. The Rajdhani class trains began thier service in the year 1969 when the first Rajdhani Express ran from New Delhi Station to Howrah. Rajdhani express receive the highest priority and are certified to run at 130 kmph. These train sport a unique livery of RED and Grey. Almost all the Rajdhanis have the LHB designed rakes. Currently there are 22 sets of Rajdhani Expresses operating. The states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan,Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya do not have a dedicated Rajdhani Express. Andhra Pradesh had a dedicated Rajdhani Express service, but after the bifurcation, the train now services the Telengana State.
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HISTORY:
Kerala was one of the states that was geographically far from Indias capital. Hence there was a pressing need for a fast connection between Kerala and Delhi. Hence a Rajdhani express was started by extending the Chennai Rajdhani express via Salem -Palghat-Ernakulam. After the inauguration of the Konkan Railway, the train was renumbered and re routed via the Konkan Railway. Being a rajdhani express, it offers the fastest connection to Delhi to the states of Kerala, western Karnataka, Goa and Konkan Coast of Maharashtra. The current version of the Rajdhani express began its service on April 1, 1998 from Delhi`s, Nizamuddin Station.
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DESCRIPTION:
The train is the longest Rajdhani by the distance travelled. The train is operated the Northern Railway zone. The train departs every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from Trivandrum and reaches Delhi 2 days later. the Return train departs delhi on Sundays, tuedays and Wednesdays reaching kerala 2 days later.
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The Train offers only AC Sleeper accomodation, with 3 classes of accomodation. It has an 18 coach consist comprising of 1 AC First Class Compartment, 5 AC 2 Tier Compartments, 9 AC 3 Tier compartments, 1 Pantry Car and 2 Generator Vans. The train travels through the scenic Malabar and Konkan Coasts , parts of Mumbai Suburban City, the dry and arid Thar desert. The crosses the rivers of Periyar, Bharatapuzha, Valappattanam, Netravati, Sharavati, Zuari, Mandovi, Vasishti, Savitri, Ulhas, Vaitarna, Tapi, Narmada, Chambal, Sambhar. The train was once a hot favourite amongst travellers, but increasing fares and competition from airlines resulted in fewer end to end travellers. However the train is the most favoured train for foreign tourists visiting Goa.
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The train connects the Malayalam, Tulu, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Marwari and Hindi speaking regions. Being a Rajdhani express, it enjoys unrivalled priority and speed enroute. Passengers are provided complementary meals. The train has the advanced LHB design rakes, thereby making the journey comfortable. The train has a total of 19 stoppages enroute and averages 68 kmph on the route. The train initially had only 15 halts, stoppages at Kollam, Alappuzha, Karwar, Kota were added later
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Since the train is the longest Rajdhani, the train holds several records. The most prominent ones being the longest non stop run of any train in the country, between the vadodara and Kota stations, highest ticket fare in the normal indian trains, a mind boggling INR 7740 per head in the 1AC end to end. High sectional speeds, including 130+ kmph on the KOTA NZM section and the 120 kmph on the Konkan Railway and Vasai Rd - Vadodara sections.
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LOCOMOTIVES.
The train is hauled by a WDP3A from the Golden Rock shed from Trivandrum to Vadodara, and onwards by a WAP 5 from Vadodara shed..
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RSA: Shares rakes with its older cousin, the Chennai Rajdhani Express
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VERDICT:
The train offers the fastest train connectivity from Kerala to Delhi, However since the train is completely AC , the fares may not be exactly pocket friendly. Food quality is average. But train is clean and very comfortable for enjoying beautiful landscape of India. The train is a hot favourite amonsgt rail fans.
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FARES: (end to end)
1 AC - INR 7740
2 AC - INR 4640
3 AC - INR 3305
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Ratings:
Speed: Outstanding 10/10
Comfort: Excellent 10/10
Cleanliness: Very Good 8/10
Food: Okayish 5 /10
Punctuality : good 7/10
Total score: 40/50

#TRAINCYCLOPEDIA
#10
NAME :
22113/22114 Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak Ter.- Kochuveli Super Fast Express.
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ROUTE:...
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1. Mumbai -Roha route
2. Konkan Railway
3. Mangalore-Trivandrum Trunk Route
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ETYMOLOGY:
It is a normal SF train and the only SF connectivity from Mumbai to Kerala
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HISTORY:
Mumbai -Kerala sector attracts one of the highest density of passengers in the IR. The train was introduced after the persistant efforts of the Mumbai Malayalees to have a daily SF to Kerala. However, it did not materialise and 22113/22114 LTT-KCVL Exp was introduced as a bi weekly train, sharing the kerala bound slot with 12201 Garib Rath Exp and the Mumbai bound slot with Ernakulam -Pune Poorna SF exp. Surprisingly, just like GaribRath exp the train has a "SuperFast" tag thought the average speed is less than 55 kmph.
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DESCRIPTION:
The train is maintained by the Central Railway. The trains base station is Lokamanya Tilak Terminus. It offers both AC sleeper, NON AC Sleeper and Unreserved Class accomodation. The rake consists of 2 AC 3 tier compartments , 1 AC 2Tier compartments , 6 Sleeper NON AC Class Compartments, 6 Unreserved coaches and 2 luggage cum General coaches. The train departs at 16.55 from Mumbai LTT on every TUESDAY and SATURDAY and reaches the next day. The return train 2114 departs Kochuveli at 00.35 on every Monday and Thursday. It has 8 general unreserved coaches that attract poor patronage and virtually remains empty throughout the trip. The train has a 17 coach rake but half of it is GEN. The train is one of the first trains to hit WL during the vacation season. The train passes through Mumbai city and the western ghats of Konkan Region and the Malabar Coastal Region in Kerala. The train plies on the Western Ghats which is famous for its bio diversity and offers a scintillating view of the mountains and valleys. the route is exceptionally beautiful during monsoon. The train connects the Marathi and Malayalam speaking regions. the train crosses the rivers of Patalganga, Vasishti, Savitri, Zuari and Mandovi, Sharavati, Netravati, Valappattanam, Kadalundi, Bharatapuzha, Periyar. The 22113 passes the entire Konkan Railway at night hence the beauty of KR cannot be enjoyed on the Kerala bound run, however the return train covers almost 70% of KR during daytime and hence offers spectacular views. The train abysmal departure timings on the Mumbai bound run from Kerala. It halts at 24 stations enroute excluding the origin and destination stations.
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LOCO LINK:
The train is hauled by WDM3D locomotive from the Kalyan Loco Shed.
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RSA: There does not exist any Rake sharing arrangement for this train.
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VERDICT:
The train is reasonably good for its speed but timings are pretty nasty on the 22114. Lack of pantry car is a huge disadvantage. There are very few reserved coaches on the train and hence getting tickets is a huge problem. The 22114 is not a favoured train though it runs on a very high potential route.
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FARES
AC - 2 Tier INR 2670
AC - 3 Tier INR 1830
Non AC Sleeper. INR 700
Gen -INR 365
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RATINGS:
Speed: Good 7/10
Comfort: Okayish 5/10
Cleanliness: Good 7/10
Food:Dreadful 2/10
Punctuality : Good but unreliable during monsoon 8/10
Total score: 29/50

#Traincyclopedia
#9
NAME :
16331/16332 Mumbai Thiruvananthapuram Express
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ROUTE:...
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Mumbai CSTM to Thiruvananthapuram via PUNE-WADI-GTL-DMM-KJM-BWT-SA-ED-PGT-ERS-ALLP-TVC
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ETYMOLOGY:
The train is a normal express train and currently the only train on the Mumbai-Bangalore-Thiruvananthapuram sector
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HISTORY:
After Mumbai got a dedicated train to Kerala in the form of Jayanti Janata Exp, there was a demand for a train to the northern malabar regions of Kannur and Mangalore. So a a new train was introduced in the form of the bi weekly Netravati Express that ran from LTT to Mangalore. The train took a different route from the usual one through Cuddapah. The train took the Guntakal-Dharmavaram-Krishnarajapuram-Bangarapet-Salem route onwards to Shornur. Slip coaches in the train proceeded to the erstwhile Cochin Harbour Terminus while the original train continued to Mangalore. When KR was opened in 1998, the Netravati express was routed through it. It was then that this train was introduced in order to fill the gap in this slot.
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DESCRIPTION:
The train has a 20 coach rake. It is run by TVC division of SR. The train departs daily from CSTM at 12.10 on every Monday and reaches TVC at 03.10 2 days later averaging a speed of 49 kmph. The train offers both AC and non AC sleeper options as well as non AC seating coaches. It has 11 non-ac Sleeper coaches, 2 AC Sleeper 3 Tier coaches, 2 AC 2 tier coaches, 1 Pantry Car, 2 General coaches and 2 General cum Luggage coaches. The train travels on the Mumbai-Chennai Trunk Route till Gooty after which it takes the DMM-KJM trunk line. The train then takes the BWT-SA-ED line from KJM onwards. There is nothing great to write about the cleanliness of the train as SR is horrible with the maintainence. But the train is fairly clean. The train has a good punctual record and is hardly delayed. The train also has a pantry aboard but the food is average. The veg biriyani and the coffee are very good on the train. The train traverses the magnificent Bhor Ghats and the scenery on the Pune-Wadi line is good. There are some big bridges on Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers as well. The train has 40 halts on both the ways. The train is more preferred than the 16381 Jayanti Janata as it is faster and takes a shorter route. Connectivity to Bangalore is an extra advantage. The train shares slot with 16339 CSTM-Nagarcoil exp till Erode after which it has an independent slot till TVC.
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LOCO LINK:
The train gets a WDM3D from Erode shed in the run from Mumbai to Erode. A WAP 4 from ED or RPM shed then hauls the train till TVC
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RSA:
06312- Trivandrum Chennai Special
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VERDICT:
It was the fastest direct connection to Palakkad other than the CSTM-CAPE express which was outdone by the DR-TEN SF via KR.
The train is reasonably clean and food is satisfactory. On the whole it is an average train with decent occupancy.
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FARES
AC 2 Tier :2770 INR
AC 3 Tier: 1880 INR
Sleeper Class: 710 INR
General: 415 INR
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RATINGS:
Speed: Poor......................4/10
Comfort: Fair.....................7/10
Cleanliness: Average.......5/10
Food: okay ......................6/10
Punctuality : V. Good.........8/10
Total score: ....................30/50

#Traincyclopedia
#8
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NAME :
16381/16382 Mumbai Kanyakumari Express aka Jayanti Janata Express
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ROUTE:
Mumbai CSTM to Kanyakumari via PUNE-WADI-GTL-RU-KPD-ED-ERN-TVC
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ETYMOLOGY:
The trains name is translated as "People Wins". The train was one among the various Janata expresses introduced during the early 1980s. The train was later renumbered and the named of jayanti janata faded away gradually though in Karnataka, AP and Kerala the name still lingers on.
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HISTORY:
Mumbai did not have a direct connection to Kerala till the 1970s. All that was present was a single Sleeper coach that was attached to the Mumbai-Chennai Mail that ran from Mumbai to MAS daily. The slip coach was towed all the way till MAS. When the train reached MAS in the morning, this coach was parked at the station till the time for the MAS-TVC Exp in the evening. The coach was then attached to it and thus the coach reached TVC after a harrowing journey of 4 days. So in order to put an end to an ordeal, the Railways introduced a train that ran all the way from CSTM to CAPE without touching MAS and TPTY. Later the train was run via the TPTY . The train remained the sole connection to Kerala for a decade till the time the bi weekly Netravati Exp was introduced. The train was a highly sought one and always ran full in all seasons. However the advent of KR turned the tables for this train. All the passengers slowly moved to KR as it helped reaching Kerala faster and spared the people from taking a 3 day journey. The train that was once the numero uno choice for Mumbaiites became the last choice. The train now enjoys good patronage during the vacation time but the big bunch of Kerala passengers have gone. The train now mainly used by people going to MAS and ED areas in TN. The train was the main choice of people from Pune to Kerala since in the early days of KR there were no trains run from Pune on KR. but the crowds have moved to Poorna and PUNE-ERS SF
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DESCRIPTION:
The train has a 17 coach rake. It is run by TVC division of SR. The train departs daily from CSTM at 15:45 and reaches CAPE at 12:15 2 days later averaging a speed of 47 kmph. The train offers both AC and non AC sleeper options as well as non AC seating coaches. It has 10 non-ac Sleeper coaches, 1 AC Sleeper 3 Tier coach, 1 AC 2 tier coach, 1 Pantry Car, 2 General coaches and 2 General cum Luggage coaches. The train travels on the Mumbai-Chennai Trunk Route till Katpadi after which it takes the MAS-TVC trunk line. The train then takes the TVC-MDU line from TVC onwards. There is nothing great to write about the cleanliness of the train as SR is horrible with the maintainence. But the train is fairly clean. The train has a good punctual record and is hardly delayed. The train also has a pantry aboard but the food is just average. The train traverses the magnificent Bhor Ghats and the scenery on the Pune-Wadi line is good. The train travels through the hot Rayalseema region in AP and its very hot during summers. Do watch out for fields of Sunflower. there are some big bridges on Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers as well. The train has 62 halts on both the ways and is comparatively slower than the other trains running on the route.
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LOCO LINK: The train gets a WCAM-2p/ WCAM-3 loco from CSTM to Pune. The Pune-Guntakal section is hauled by WDM3 A/D or WDG3A from GY. The train is usually seen in the GY livery of Orange and Blue WDMs. The GTL-CAPE route is hauled by Erode/Royapuram WAP 4
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RSA: The train does not have any Rake Sharing Arrangement.
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VERDICT:
Less popular, and long journey time becomes the negatives, but the journey is comfortbale, the train hardly gets delayed and convenient timings at all stations enroute add to its benefits.
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FARES
AC 2 Tier : 2890 INR
AC 3 Tier: 1955 INR
Sleeper Class: 740 INR
General: 440 INR
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RATINGS:
Speed: Poor 4/10
Comfort: Fair 7/10
Cleanliness: Poor 4/10
Food: Average 5/10
Punctuality : V. Good 8/10
Total score: 28/50

#TRAINCYCLOPEDIA
7
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NAME :
10111/10112 Konkan Kanya Express.
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ROUTE:
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai) to Madgaon (Goa) via Konkan Railway.
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ETYMOLOGY:
The name of the translates as " Virgin of Konkan" . Aptly describing the train`s status as the first Express category train to run on the Konkan Railway. After the opening of the Konkan Railway, MAQ- UD passenger became the first train to be run via KR. The train brought about a huge impact on the lives of people in Konkan. For the first time people here had a direct connectivity to Mumbai and secondly many had not even seen trains.
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HISTORY:
Before the KR line was commissioned, NH 17(now re numbered as NH 66) was the sole connection to the regions of Konkan Coast. Steamers and ships were the other modes of travel. the region was under developed and had an inhospitable terrain. KR line proved to be a boon for the people here. The train was introduced on Jan 25 1998 and was the first Exp category train to run via the KR. The direct connectivity to Mangalore was formed 2 months later when the Netravati Exp was directed via KR and matsyagandha exp was introduced.
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DESCRIPTION:
The train is run by Konkan Railway Corporation which is a regd company as per the companies Act of India and hence operated differently from other railway organisations. Hence it cannot own its own coaches and rolling stock. Thus KR took a rake from SWR on lease. The rake is maintained and homed at MAO, but its ownership rests with SWR. The train has a 24 coach rake. The train offers both AC and non AC sleeper as well as non AC sitiing accomodation. It has 4 Gen Coaches, 2 SLRs, 11 non AC sleeper coaches, 1 pantry car, 4 AC 3 Tier coaches, 1 Ac 2 Tier coach, 1 AC 2 Tier cum First AC coach. The train traverses the Konkan Coast though the Sea cannot be spotted anywhere on KR. The train has a superb maintainence and has lived upto the reputation as an exceptionally neat and clean train. The train departs daily from Mumbai at 23.05 and reaches MAO at 10.45 the next day. The pairing train departs from MAO every day at 18.00 and reaches Mumbai at 05.50 the next day. The train averages around 49 kmph. The train has 20 stops in both directions. The 10111 has 2 Unreserved coaches specially earmarked for people boarding from Dadar and Thane respectively. The train was a hit from day one and is ever crowded. The WL touches phenomenal heights. The trains Pantry is very famous for its tasty hygenic and mouthwatering foods as well as a wide range of items on its menu. The train obtains a max speed of 110 kmph.
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LOCO LINK: The train was hauled by KJM WDM3a initially and later moved on to WDP4/4B from KJM and has loco sharing arrangement with Udyan Exp.
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RSA: Mandovi Exp.
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VERDICT:
Enjoy Tasty food. Unfortunately it traverses KR in the night thus scenic beauty cannot be viewed. But comfortable timings and great food and comfort make it unparalled
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FARES:
First AC- 2255 INR
2 AC- 1335 INR
3 AC- 925 INR
SL- 345
Gen- 147 INR
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RATINGS:
Speed: Poor 3/10
Comfort: Good 6/10
Cleanliness: Excellent 9/10
Food: Excellent 9/10
Punctuality : Good 6/10 unreliable during monsoon
Total score: 33/50