Coromandel Express
Encyclopedia
, 
The Coromandal Express is one of the flagship carriers of the Indian Railways. It is a superfast train
which runs down the east coast of India
between Howrah station
(HWH) in Howrah (Kolkata) and Chennai Central
(MAS) in Chennai
daily. It is one of the earliest superfast express' in the history of IR. The Eastern Coast of India along the Bay of Bengal
is called the Coromandal Coast and hence the name was given to this train, as it traverses the entire length of Coromandal coast. This train belongs to the South Eastern Railway. The train numbers are 2841 and 2842. 2841 departs from Howrah at 14.50 hrs and arrives at Chennai Central
at 17.15 hrs the next day. 2842 departs from Chennai Central
at 8.45 hrs and arrives at Howrah at 12.00 hrs (again, the next day). The route covers a distance of 1662 km each way. The land of the Chola dynasty was called Cholamandalam in Tamil, literally translated as “the realm of the Cholas”, from which Coromandal is derived. The Coromandal Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula.
Prior to completion of electrification of east coast line, there was no alternative but to run this train by by two WDMs(From Kharagpur
Diesel Loco Shed). Reason for using two diesel locomotives was limited hauling capability of single WDM diesel locomotive to run this 24 coach train at 110 kmph. After electrification, single WAP4 electric locomotive is adequate. Thus there was straightway saving of one locomotive for Indian Railway. There was saving of time as well due faster acceleration.
This train had a serious accident in which apart from other damages and casualties one Santragachi based WAP4 loco got damaged beyond economical repair and therefore had to be condemned.
Mail. Thus a rake of the Coromandal Express consists of 24 coaches.
and Vijayawada
(2842 has a stop at Ongole for Pantry purposes, hence it became a commercial stop with time) covering 432 km in 6½ hours. Then it runs up to Vishakapatnam with a single stop at Rajamundhry. However the run between Vijayawada
and Visakhapatnam
is slower (6 hrs 25 min) as compared to other superfast expresses(like Ratnachal Express/Falaknuma Express
) in this route, despite only a single stop in this section. The other stops are Berhampur
, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar
, Cuttack
, Bhadrakh, Balasore
and Kharagpur
. Hence, it has a net of three stops in Andhra Pradesh
, six stops in Orissa
, one in West Bengal
other HWH and MAS. When it was introduced in 1977, it had stops only at Vijayawada
, Visakhapatnam
, Bhubaneswar
. It used to bypass Cuttack
and Khurda Road was a technical halt. Later stops like Bhadrakh, Balasore
etc. were introduced. The run has slowed down considerably as compared to the earlier days. It had a distinct livery when it was introduced in 1977.
near Jajpur Road about 100 km away from Bhubaneswar in Orissa killing at least 15 people and leaving several injured, some critically. The reason for the derailment is not known. A high level inquiry was ordered by the Railways following the incident.
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
which runs down the east coast of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
between Howrah station
Howrah station
Howrah Station is one of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata railway station in Kolkata. Howrah is situated on the West bank of the Hooghly River, linked to Kolkata by the magnificent Howrah Bridge which...
(HWH) in Howrah (Kolkata) and Chennai Central
Chennai Central
Chennai Central , erstwhile Madras Central, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai . It is the home of the Southern Railway and the most important rail hub in South India. The other major railway hub stations in the city are Chennai Egmore and Tambaram...
(MAS) in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
daily. It is one of the earliest superfast express' in the history of IR. The Eastern Coast of India along the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
is called the Coromandal Coast and hence the name was given to this train, as it traverses the entire length of Coromandal coast. This train belongs to the South Eastern Railway. The train numbers are 2841 and 2842. 2841 departs from Howrah at 14.50 hrs and arrives at Chennai Central
Chennai Central
Chennai Central , erstwhile Madras Central, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai . It is the home of the Southern Railway and the most important rail hub in South India. The other major railway hub stations in the city are Chennai Egmore and Tambaram...
at 17.15 hrs the next day. 2842 departs from Chennai Central
Chennai Central
Chennai Central , erstwhile Madras Central, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai . It is the home of the Southern Railway and the most important rail hub in South India. The other major railway hub stations in the city are Chennai Egmore and Tambaram...
at 8.45 hrs and arrives at Howrah at 12.00 hrs (again, the next day). The route covers a distance of 1662 km each way. The land of the Chola dynasty was called Cholamandalam in Tamil, literally translated as “the realm of the Cholas”, from which Coromandal is derived. The Coromandal Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula.
Loco links
This train is hauled by CLW manufactured WAP 4 class electric locomotives maintained by Electric Loco Shed Santragachi of South Eastern Railway from Howrah to Visakhapatanam and thereafter by Royapuram based loco to Chennai as per loco links approved by Railway Board. These 5000 hp locomotives are fit to run at 130 kmph but due limitation of sectional speed, coromandal express runs at a maximum permissible speed of 110 kmph. Immediately after electrification, this train was hauled by Secunderabad (Lalaguda) based WAP4 loco from Chennai to Howrah but due to difficulty and excessive time required to reverse loco at Vishakhapatnam, subsequently it was decided to run it by Santragachi based Loco from Howrah to Vishakhapatnam and from Vishakhapatnam to Howrah by Erode based loco. When Royapuram shed came up near Chennai, Royapuram based loco is utilised to haul it from from Vishakhapatnam to Howrah.Prior to completion of electrification of east coast line, there was no alternative but to run this train by by two WDMs(From Kharagpur
Kharagpur
Kharagpur is an industrial city in India. It is located in the Midnapore West district of the state of West Bengal.Kharagpur was chosen as the location of the first campus of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology . The IITs are the premier technical education institutes in India and...
Diesel Loco Shed). Reason for using two diesel locomotives was limited hauling capability of single WDM diesel locomotive to run this 24 coach train at 110 kmph. After electrification, single WAP4 electric locomotive is adequate. Thus there was straightway saving of one locomotive for Indian Railway. There was saving of time as well due faster acceleration.
This train had a serious accident in which apart from other damages and casualties one Santragachi based WAP4 loco got damaged beyond economical repair and therefore had to be condemned.
Speed
This train traverses the total distance of 1662 km in a total time of 27h 5m with the maximum speed of 110 km/hrsComposition
The rake consists of 12 Sleepers, 6 AC Coaches(1AC, 2AC, 3AC), Pantry car, 3 General sitting and 2 SLRs. This train shares its rakes with the Howrah ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
Mail. Thus a rake of the Coromandal Express consists of 24 coaches.
Route
This train runs non-stop between ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
(2842 has a stop at Ongole for Pantry purposes, hence it became a commercial stop with time) covering 432 km in 6½ hours. Then it runs up to Vishakapatnam with a single stop at Rajamundhry. However the run between Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
and Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam is a major sea port on the south east coast of India. With a population of approximately 1.7 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. According to the history, the city was...
is slower (6 hrs 25 min) as compared to other superfast expresses(like Ratnachal Express/Falaknuma Express
Falaknuma Express
2703/2704 Falaknuma Express is a superfast train of The Indian Railways connecting Howrah to Secunderabad. The train belongs to the South Central Railway. It runs daily and connects important stations such as Bhubaneswar, Vishakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Guntur. It is a fast alternative to other...
) in this route, despite only a single stop in this section. The other stops are Berhampur
Berhampur
Brahmapur , nicknamed "The Silk City", is a city located in the eastern coastline of Ganjam district of the Indian state of Orissa, about south to state capital, Bhubaneswar.It is also dubbed as "The Dance City" of Orissa after Prince Dance Group and Harihar Das made the state famous in India's...
, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital...
, Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
, Bhadrakh, Balasore
Balasore
Balasore is a strategically located city in the state of Orissa, about north of the state capital Bhubaneswar, in eastern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It is best known for Chandipur beach. It is also the site of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defense...
and Kharagpur
Kharagpur
Kharagpur is an industrial city in India. It is located in the Midnapore West district of the state of West Bengal.Kharagpur was chosen as the location of the first campus of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology . The IITs are the premier technical education institutes in India and...
. Hence, it has a net of three stops in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, six stops in Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, one in West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
other HWH and MAS. When it was introduced in 1977, it had stops only at Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
, Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam is a major sea port on the south east coast of India. With a population of approximately 1.7 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. According to the history, the city was...
, Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital...
. It used to bypass Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
and Khurda Road was a technical halt. Later stops like Bhadrakh, Balasore
Balasore
Balasore is a strategically located city in the state of Orissa, about north of the state capital Bhubaneswar, in eastern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It is best known for Chandipur beach. It is also the site of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defense...
etc. were introduced. The run has slowed down considerably as compared to the earlier days. It had a distinct livery when it was introduced in 1977.
Bridges
This train passes over some important rivers of India:- KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
river in VijayawadaVijayawadaVijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
Speed-110 km/hrs - Godavari in Rajmundhry: 2.74 KM Speed-110 km/hrs
- MahanadiMahanadi RiverThe Mahanadi in East Central India. It drains an area of around 141,600 km2 and has a total course of 858 km. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Orissa.-Source:...
in CuttackCuttackCuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
: 2.1 KM Speed-110 km/hrs - Kathjori(Mahanadi distributary)in CuttackCuttackCuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
Speed-100 km/hrs - Kuakhai(Mahanadi distributary) near CuttackCuttackCuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
Speed-100 km/hrs - Subarnarekha near Balasore. Speed-70 km/hrs
- Brahmani. Speed-70 km/hrs
- Sea backwater near Ennore chennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
Speed-50 km/hrs - Pennar near Nellore. Speed-60 km/hrs
- Damodar near Bagnan. Speed-50 km/hrs
- Rupnarayan near Kolaghat/Mecheda. Speed-50 km/hrs
Accident
On 13 February 2009, the train derailed2009 Orissa train derailment
The Jajapur derailment was a passenger train derailment that occurred at 19:45 local time in the dark in the eastern state of Orissa, India, on 13 February 2009. Nine people were killed and 150 people were injured in the incident...
near Jajpur Road about 100 km away from Bhubaneswar in Orissa killing at least 15 people and leaving several injured, some critically. The reason for the derailment is not known. A high level inquiry was ordered by the Railways following the incident.