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ERNAKULAM-VELANKANNI BI-WEEKLY EXPRESS | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Service type | Regional rail Express |
Status | Operating |
Locale | Tamil Nadu & Kerala |
First service | 25 September 2023 | (Commercial run)
Current operator(s) | Southern Railway zone |
Route | |
Termini | Ernakulam Junction (ERS) Velankanni (VLNK) |
Stops | 31 |
Distance travelled | 690 km (430 mi) |
Average journey time | 16 h 45 m |
Service frequency | 16361- Mon,Sat 16362- Tue,Sun |
Train number(s) | 16361/2 |
On-board services | |
Class(es) | AC II Tier, AC III Tier, SL, GS |
Seating arrangements | Yes |
Sleeping arrangements | Yes |
Technical | |
Rolling stock | ICF |
Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
Electrification | yes, completed in 2024 February 20 th |
Operating speed | 41kmph (Avg) |
Average length | 320.978m (including engines) |
Track owner(s) | Indian Railways |
Rake maintenance | PM @ ERS, OEA @ VLNK |
The Ernakulam Velankanni Express is a train service in the Southern Railway zone of India. It runs between Ernakulam and Velankanni via Kottayam, Kollam Junction, Kottarakkara, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Manamadurai, Karaikudi, Tiruthuraipundi, and Tiruvarur. This train is helpful for pilgrims from Kerala to reach Velankanni Church and Nagore Dargah.
This train covers a distance of 690 kilometres (430 mi) with a journey time of approximately 16 3/4 hours.
It runs as a bi-weekly express with train no 16361 on Mondays and Saturdays and 16362 on Sundays and Tuesdays .
The railway board approved a biweekly express on 17/8/2023 and is running with the above numbers. [1]
It is hauled by ERS WDG-3A for end to end journey. Twin lead till QLN and 1 is attached as a banker from QLN to SCT.
The major halts in this train are
The train has standard ICF rakes with a maximum speed of 110 km/h. This train does not have rake sharing and have 1 independent rake.
The train consists of 18 coaches:
The number of coaches got increased from 14 to 18 from April 6th 2024, subject to positive inspection report submitted by RDSO to Southern Railway for running 22 LHB/24 ICF coaches in the Ghats section. The number of coaches increased after the extension of platforms in stations along Kollam-Sengottai section to accommodate 24 coaches. [2]
The train reverses its direction twice:
Kottarakkara, also transliterated as Kottarakara, is a town and municipality in the Kollam district of the Kerala, India. Kottarakkara lies 27 kilometres (17 mi) to the east of Kollam city centre.
Panpoli is a village situated near Sengottai Taluk in Tenkasi district, Tamil Nadu, India.
Kottayam railway station is an NSG–3 category Indian railway station in Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is located in Kottayam, Kerala state, India. Kottayam lies on the busy rail route between Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. It is an NSG 3 category station. The station is served by several long-distance trains connecting most major cities in the country on a daily basis like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Bhopal, Pune and Mangalore. Trains connecting extreme ends of india also passes through the station like Jammu tawi, Dibrugarh etc. It is one of the busiest station in Thiruvananthapuram central - Ernakulam route due to ease in accessibility of Sabarimala temple. Kottayam railway station is the halt station for passengers to Sabarimala temple, Vagamon, Kumarakom, Illickal kallu - high range, St. Alphonsa's tomb, Pala and so on. Station currently has 2 by-passing platforms -, and 3 terminal platforms. All platforms are able to accommodate locomotives with 24 coaches. Station is currently under construction of 1A Platform along with a new entrance. By completing double line from Chingavanam to Ettumanoor, southern railway has achieved its complete stretch of double rail line from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangalore
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Manamadurai Junction railway station is an NSG–5 category Indian railway station in Madurai railway division of Southern Railway zone. It serves Manamadurai, located in Sivaganga district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the two major railway junctions in Sivaganga district and the other one is Karaikudi Junction. Manamadurai junction is the only four branched junction in the district. It has totally 5 platforms, in which only 3 are functioning and last two are used for docking unscheduled and freight trains.
Aruppukkottai railway station is an NSG–5 category Indian railway station in Madurai railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is located in Aruppukkottai, Tamil Nadu connecting Manamadurai and Virudhunagar. A new railway line from Manamadurai Junction–Virudhunagar Junction Via Aruppukkottai was proposed in the Third Five Year plan, which was supposed to ease the pressure on the existing Manamadurai Junction–Madurai Junction and Madurai Junction–Virudhunagar Junction sections.
Kayamkulam Junction railway station is an NSG–3 category Indian railway station in Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is a railway station in Kerala, located at Kayamkulam, Alappuzha district. It is an NSG 3 category station. It stands at the junction of three lines- south towards Thiruvananthapuram via Kollam, north towards Ernakulam via Alappuzha and north-east towards Ernakulam Junction/Ernakulam Town via Kottayam. The station is located 1.7 km (1.1 mi) from Kayamkulam town, near Kayamkulam–Punalur Road. In 2018, the rail wi-fi broad-band connection has been introduced in Kayamkulam.
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* Maharshi, Tageeru Anubharadwaj. "06015X/Ernakulam Jn - Velankanni SpecialFare Special (Via Kollam Jn) (PT) - Velankanni to South SR/Southern Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 2023-09-06. * Maharshi, Tageeru Anubharadwaj. "06016X/Velankanni - Ernakulam Jn. SpecialFare Special (Via Kollam Jn) (PT) - South to Velankanni SR/Southern Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 2023-09-06. * "Southern Railway Welcomes You". sr.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 2023-09-06. * "Southern Railway Welcomes You". sr.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 2023-09-06.