Amritha Express

Last updated

Amritha Express
Amritha Express (as of May '22).jpg
Overview
First service1 January 2001;23 years ago (2001-01-01)
Current operator(s) Indian Railways
Route
Termini Trivandrum Central
Madurai Junction
Stops22
Distance travelled617 km (383 mi)
Average journey time15 hours 45 minutes
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)16343 / 16344
On-board services
Class(es) AC Two Tier, AC Three Tier, Sleeper class, General Unreserved.
Seating arrangementsYes
Sleeping arrangementsYes
Catering facilitiesNo
Observation facilitiesLarge windows
Technical
Rolling stock ICF coach pulled by WAP-4 from Electric Loco Shed, Vijayawada or from Electric Loco Shed, Arakkonam
Track gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed45 km/h (28 mph) average with halts

Amritha Express is an overnight express train operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways between Thiruvananthapuram Central in Kerala, and Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.

Contents

Background

It was introduced in January 2001 by the then Railway Minister O. Rajagopal, from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Palakkad Town. This train is named after Mata Amritanandamayi, a well known spiritual leader. At first, the train used to run between Thiruvananthapuram Central to Palakkad, then extended up to Pollachi later extended to Madurai Junction. It starts from Thiruvananthapuram Central, runs via Kollam Junction, Kayamkulam Junction, Tiruvalla, Changanasseri, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Aluva, Thrissur, Ottapalam, Palakkad Junction, Palakkad Town, Kollengode, Pollachi Junction, Udumalaipettai, Palani, Dindigul Junction, then reaches Madurai Junction the next day.

History

It was first introduced as Thiruvananthapuram CentralPalakkad Town Amritha Express, via Shoranur Junction. Later, from November 2015, it had been extended and operated as a special express between Palakkad Town and Pollachi Junction.

Then, from 1 November 2017, Amritha Express was extended to Madurai Junction with new stops at Kollengode, Pollachi, Udumalaipettai, Palani, Oddanchatram and Dindigul Junction by withdrawing stoppage at Shoranur Junction. Starting from 16 November 2011, at Shoranur Junction, eight coaches from Nilambur Road was linked with Amritha Express and ran as Thiruvananthapuram Central–Madurai Junction Amritha Express / Thiruvananthapuram Central–Nilambur Road Rajya Rani Express. On 5 May 2019, the link express from Nilambur Road was discontinued permanently, and both the trains ran as an independent train. Also Amritha Express was diverted to run via Palakkad JunctionOttapalamThrissur instead of Palakkad Junction–Shoranur Junction–Ottapalam–Thrissur. Therefore, Amritha Express will not touch Shoranur Junction, instead it will bypass Shoranur Junction.

The link train Rajya Rani Express has got independent coaches and will run with new terminal from Kochuveli to Nilambur Road.

Locomotive

Starting from September 24, 2022, this train will be converted from Diesel locomotive journey to a fully complete Electric locomotive journey since the Palakkad-Dindigul line got completely electrified and CRS Inspection was successfully completed. [1] [2] [3]

Timings

16344 Amritha Express standing in Palakkad Junction. 16344 Amritha Express.jpg
16344 Amritha Express standing in Palakkad Junction.

This train is a daily service train with the following departures and arrivals at some of these stations:-

Thiruvananthapuram Central ↔ Madurai Junction
16343Station NameStation Code16344
ArrivalDepartureArrivalDeparture
-20:30 Trivandrum Ctrl TVC04:45-
21:3021:33 Kollam Junction QLN02:4702:50
22:3822:40 Chengannur CNGR01:4101:43
00:4500:50 Ernakulam Town ERN23:5323:58
03:4004:00 Palakkad Junction PGT20:3020:55
05:3705:40 Pollachi Junction POY19:0219:05
06:4206:43 Palani PLNI17:5518:00
06:3506:40 Dindigul Junction DG17:0217:05
10:00- Madurai Junction MDU-16:10

Coach composition

Loco12345678910111213141516171819202122
BSicon LDER.svg SLRURURS1S2S3S4S5S6S7S8S9S10S11S12S13S14B1B2A1URSLR

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palakkad district</span> District in Kerala, India

Palakkad is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was carved out of the southeastern region of the former Malabar District on 1 January 1957. It is located at the central region of Kerala and is the second largest district in the state after Idukki. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram district, on the southwest by the Thrissur district, on the northeast by Nilgiris district, and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The district is nicknamed "The granary of Kerala". Palakkad is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap, in the Western Ghats. The 2,383 m high Anginda peak, which is situated in the border of Palakkad district, Nilgiris district, and Malappuram district, in Silent Valley National Park, is the highest point of elevation in Palakkad district. Palakkad city is about 347 kilometres (216 mi) northeast of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoranur</span> Town in Kerala, India

Shoranur is a town and a municipality located in the Palakkad district, in the Indian state of Kerala, located on the banks of the Bharathapuzha River. The town covers an area of 32.28 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palani</span> Town in Tamil Nadu, India

Palani (Tamil:[paɻani], is a town and a taluk headquarters in Dindigul district of the western part of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is located about 106 kilometres south-east of Coimbatore and 122 kilometres north-west of Madurai, 67 kilometres from Kodaikanal. The Palani Murugan Temple or Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, dedicated to Murugan is situated on a hill overlooking the town. The temple is visited by more than 7 million pilgrims each year. As of 2011, the town had a population of 70,467 and the Taluk had a population of 292,301 which makes it the second largest town in the district after Dindigul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oddanchatram</span> Town in Tamil Nadu, India

Oddanchatram is town in the Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. The town was carved out of Madurai District in 1985. Oddanchatram has the second largest Vegetable market in Tamil Nadu and a large Cattle market. As of 2011, the town had a population of 30,064. It is known as the vegetable city of Tamil Nadu. Almost 70% of the vegetables from this market is sent to Kerala and remaining is sent to other states. Agriculture is the major economy for the town. The town was once a small village under the Aanda Nadu. This constituency, along with Palani, is historically a part of the Kongu region and distinguishes itself from the rest of the district in terms of culture and food.

Madathukulam is Border to Dindigul District in Tirupur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nilambur–Shoranur line</span> Railway line in India

The Nilambur–Shoranur line is a 66 kilometres (41 mi)-long single-line, electrified broad-gauge (1676 mm) railway spur branch line of the Indian Railways connecting Nilambur Road railway station in Malappuram district with Shoranur Junction in Palakkad district in the state of Kerala. It is a branch line administered by the Palakkad railway division of the Southern Railway zone and one of the shortest broad-gauge railway lines in India. It was laid by the British in the colonial era for the transportation of Nilambur Teak logs to the United Kingdom through Kozhikode. The line is electrified and was inspected by railway officials from Southern Railway on 30 March 2024. With this, the Palakkad division achieved 100% electrification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoranur Junction railway station</span> Railway station in Kerala, India

Shoranur Junction is an NSG–3 category Indian railway station in Palakkad railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is the railway station located at Shoranur, Palakkad District, Kerala. It comes under the Palakkad Railway Division of the Southern Railway. It is the largest railway station in the state of Kerala in terms of area. It is an important junction because it is the point at which the line from Chennai via Jolarpettai, Erode and Palakkad meets the coastal line from Mangalore to Kanyakumari. Further, Shoranur junction is the node from which a separate Branch line goes to the town of Nilambur, about 66 km to the north. The Nilambur–Shoranur line, which connects two tiny hill-towns, is one of the most picturesque in India.

State Highway 58 is a State Highway in Kerala, India that starts in Vadakkancherry and ends in Pollachi. The highway is 39 km long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoranur–Mangalore section</span> Railway segment of IR

The Shoranur–Mangalore section, also known as Shoranur–Mangaluru section, is a railway segment of IR functioning under Palakkad Division of Southern Railway Zone. This is a 5 ft 6 in broad gauge electrified line which begins at the Shornur Junction railway station in Kerala and ends at the Mangalore Central railway station in Karnataka. This line passes through major towns including Tirur, Kozhikode, Vatakara, Thalassery, Kannur, Payyannur, Kanhangad and Kasaragod.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chennai Egmore–Guruvayur Express</span> Train in India

The 16127 / 16128 Chennai Egmore–Guruvayur Express is one of the express trains of Southern Railway zone in India, which runs between Chennai Egmore in Tamilnadu to Guruvayur in Kerala. This train is the successor the erstwhile Chennai Egmore (MS) - Cochin Harbour Terminus (CHTS) Mixed Express. The Mixed Express stopped running after Cochin Harbour Terminus (CHTS) was closed down for Passenger services in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thrissur railway station</span> Southern railway zone

Thrissur railway station is an NSG–2 category Indian railway station in Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is a railway station in Kerala, India. Thrissur also is known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala. Thrissur railway station is a major railway head in South India and A1 classified station operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways and comes under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division. It is the busiest railway station in Kerala state in terms of rail traffic with 189 halting trains. At 97 crore in financial year 2018–19, it is the fourth largest in terms of passenger revenues in Kerala and the eighth largest in Southern Railway. Daily trains are available to Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Mangalore, and Hyderabad. This station lies on the Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section, which is one of the busiest railway corridors in Kerala. It has three satellite stations, Punkunnam railway station and two minor stations, Ollur railway station and Mulankunnathukavu railway station. Thrissur railway station also connects to the temple town of Guruvayur by Thrissur–Guruvayur section.

Palakkad railway division is one of the six administrative divisions of the Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways. It is headquartered at city of Palakkad, Kerala. It is the smallest railway division in Southern Railway. It was formed by dissolving the Podanur division. Managing 588 route kilometers of track in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Mahé, it is one of the oldest railway divisions in India and had a route connectivity of nearly 1,247 km before the formation of current Thiruvananthapuram and Salem divisions. The terminal facility of Palakkad division is situated in Shoranur Junction & Mangalore Central of Karnataka state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palani railway station</span> Railway station in Tamil Nadu, India

Palani Railway Station is an NSG–4 category Indian railway station in Madurai railway division of Southern Railway zone. It serves the town of Palani, located in Dindigul district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pollachi Junction railway station</span> Railway junction serving the town of Pollachi, Tamil Nadu

Pollachi Junction railway station is an NSG–5 category Indian railway station in Palakkad railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is a historical railway junction serving the town of Pollachi, Tamil Nadu. This station is a part of the Palakkad railway division of Southern Railway Zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chennai–Palakkad Superfast Express</span> Indian train route

The 22651/22652 MGR Chennai Central - Palakkad Superfast Express is a daily express train between MGR Chennai Central (MAS) and Palakkad Junction railway station (PGT) by Southern Railways via Palani. This is the only train that connects Palani, Udumalaipettai & Pollachi with the state capital Chennai. The train covers a distance of 672 km (418 mi) at an average speed of 57 km/h (35 mph).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nilambur Road railway station</span> Railway station in Kerala, India

Nilambur Road railway station is an NSG–5 category Indian railway station in Palakkad railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is a railway terminus serving the town of Nilambur in the Malappuram district of Kerala, India. It is the station for the Shoranur–Nilambur Road spur rail line of Palakkad Division of Southern Railways. Trains halting at the station connect the town to prominent cities in Kerala, such as Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Thiruvananthapuram.

This is the timeline for Southern Railway zone that encompasses over present day Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kochuveli–Nilambur Road Rajya Rani Express</span> Train in Kerala, India

The 16349 / 16350 Rajya Rani Express is an Express train belonging to Indian Railways Southern Railway zone that runs between Kochuveli and Nilambur Road in India. This train is a part of Rajya Rani Express series of trains and serves the state of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ukkadam Bus Terminus</span>

Ukkadam Bus Terminus, popularly known as Ukkadam Bus Stand, is one of the bus terminus of Coimbatore City. It was opened in 1991 to ease congestion in the central bus stand at Gandhipuram.The bus stand was planned to accommodate town buses and buses to Pollachi and nearby places and Palakkad.

References

  1. Bureau, The Hindu (22 September 2022). "Railways to run trains via Pollachi, Dindigul from September 24". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  2. Frist electrical train run with 16343Amritha Express leading with wap-4 Engine in udumalpet , retrieved 24 September 2022
  3. Syam, Megha. "5482116-0: Change In Traction...!! End To End Ele 22651/MGR Chennai Central - Palakkad Junction SF Express (Via Palani) - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 25 September 2022.