Coromandel Express

Coromandel Express

Overview
Service type	Superfast
Status	Active
Locale	West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
First service	6 March 1977;47 years ago (1977-03-06)
Current operator(s)	South Eastern Railway
Route
Termini	Shalimar (SHM) Chennai Central (MAS)
Stops	14
Distance travelled	1,659 km (1,031 mi)
Average journey time	25 hrs 35 mins
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	12841 / 12842
On-board services
Class(es)	AC First, AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, Sleeper class, Second Sitting
Seating arrangements	Yes
Sleeping arrangements	Yes
Auto-rack arrangements	Available
Catering facilities	Available
Baggage facilities	Below the seats
Technical
Rolling stock	LHB coach
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	140 km/h (87 mph) maximum, 65 km/h (40 mph) average with halts
Route map Legend 12841 ↓ Shalimar Santragachi Junction Kharagpur Junction West Bengal Odisha border Balasore Bhadrak Jajpur Keonjhar Road Cuttack Bhubaneswar Khurda Road Brahmapur Odisha Andhra Pradesh border Visakhapatnam Rajahmundry Tadepalligudem Eluru Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu border 12842 ↑ MGR Chennai Central

The Coromandel Express is a daily premium train of the Indian Railways. The train runs down the east coast of India between Shalimar railway station, West Bengal, and Chennai Central railway station, Tamil Nadu. ^{[1] [2]} The train service is run by South Eastern Railway zone. ^[1] The route travels across the eastern coast of India along the Bay of Bengal, called the Coromandel Coast, so giving the service its name.

The Coromandel Express is also known as the "Hospital Express" in Bengal.^{[ citation needed ]} This is the train lower middle-class Bengalis take to go for treatment at Christian Medical College Vellore and Apollo Hospitals at Chennai.^{[ citation needed ]}

This is why the train is always overcrowded. It has also acquired a new reputation as the "Migrant Express."^{[ citation needed ]}

History

The train was first run on 6 March 1977 as a bi-weekly train between (then) Madras and Howrah. The Coromandel Express was designed to be the equivalent of the Rajdhani Expresses running through the Coromandel Coast. At the time the train had a dining car and library. Over time a cinema was introduced. Whilst initially going to Howrah Station, the West Bengal terminus was eventually moved to Shalimar. ^[1]

Route

The route uses the Howrah–Chennai main line along the East Coast of India. The route includes a non-stop run between Vijayawada and Chennai, and it runs up to Visakhapatnam with two stops at Eluru and Rajahmundry. The other stops are Brahmapur, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore and Kharagpur.^{[ citation needed ]}

Rake ^[3]

• 1 First AC
• 3 AC Two Tier
• 8 AC Three Tier
• 2 AC Three Tier Economy
• 3 Sleeper class
• 1 Pantry car
• 2 General Unreserved
• 1 End on Generation car (EOG)
• 1 Sitting luggage cum brake van (SLR)
• 1 High Capacity Parcel Van

12481 Coromandel Express
Loco	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23
	EOG	H1	A1	A2	A3	M1	M2	B1	B2	B3	B4	B5	B6	B7	B8	PC	S1	S2	S3	GS	GS	SLR	HCPV

Gallery

• 
  Coromandel Express at Nalpur
• 
  Coromandel Express at Andhra Pradesh

Accidents and incidents

• On 15 August 1984, the derailment of 41 Up Coromandel Express at Chhatrapur near Berhampur in Odisha left 16 dead.^{[ citation needed ]}
• On 15 August 1997, the 42 Down Coromandel Express collided with the Coromandel Express between Visakhapatnam and Brahmapur in Odisha killing 75.^{[ citation needed ]}
• On 15 August 1999, the Coromandel Express derailed at Dusi, just crossing the Nagavalli River killing 50 passengers and injuring 500.^{[ citation needed ]}
• On 15 March 2002, about seven coaches of the Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed around 14:40 at Padugupadu road over-bridge in Kovuru Mandal in Nellore district, leaving as many as 100 passengers injured. The poor condition of the main rail track in the Nellore district between Vijayawada and Chennai was suspected of being the cause of the accident.^{[ citation needed ]}
• On 13 November 2009, the train derailed near Jajpur Keonjhar 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.^{[ citation needed ]}
• On 14 January 2012, a fire broke out in a general compartment of the Chennai-Howrah Coromandel Express near Lingaraj railway station. However, the flames were extinguished before they could spread. The fire was spotted in the coach, second from the engine, when the superfast express train was proceeding towards Bhubaneswar, a spokesman for East Coast Railway (ECoR) said. No injury was caused to anyone, as the fire brigade was called in immediately and the fire was controlled within 20 minutes. All those on board the superfast train are safe. Prompt steps prevented the fire from spreading. The affected compartment was detached at Bhubaneswar railway station as a precautionary measure, and the train proceeded to its destination, the spokesman said. Preliminary information indicated that the fire might have erupted due to the carelessness of some travelers and an inquiry has been ordered into the incident, he added.^{[ citation needed ]}
• On 30 December 2012, six elephants, including two calves, were killed after being hit by Coromandel Express in Odisha's Ganjam district. A bedroll attendant on the train also died in the crash, but the circumstances of his death were unclear. ^[4]
• On 18 April 2015, a train caught fire at Nidadavolu Junction. Two of the bogies were damaged, said the report. No casualties were reported during the incident.^{[ citation needed ]}
• On 2 June 2023, Coromandel Express train was involved in an accident in Odisha. ^[5] The accident is considered one of the deadliest rail accidents in Indian Railways' history with a death count of 296 and over 1,200 injuries. ^[6]

References

1. Dastidar, Avishek G (8 June 2023). "Coromandel Express: All but the 'Rajdhani' of coastal route, minus the name". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
2. "Ill-fated Coromandel Express set to resume services today days after dreadful accident". The Economic Times. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
3. "12841/Coromandel Express (PT) - Kolkata to MGR Chennai SER/South Eastern Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
4. "Six elephants run over by speeding train in Odisha". Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
5. "At least 50 people killed and hundreds injured in train crash in eastern India". The Guardian. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
6. R, Senjo M. "Odisha train accident: CBI charges 3 railway officials with culpable homicide". Rediff. Retrieved 28 February 2024.