The 18477 / 18478 Kalinga Utkal Express is an important Express of Indian Railways connecting two pilgrimage centres of India, Yog Nagari Rishikesh and Puri.
Overview | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Service type | Express | ||||
Locale | Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi & Uttarakhand | ||||
First service | 1 October 1969[1] (initial service between Puri and New Delhi) | ||||
Current operator(s) | East Coast Railways | ||||
Route | |||||
Termini | Puri (PURI) Yog Nagari Rishikesh (YNRK) | ||||
Stops | 73 | ||||
Distance travelled | 2,367 km (1,471 mi) | ||||
Average journey time | 48 hours 25 minutes | ||||
Service frequency | Daily | ||||
Train number(s) | 18477 / 18478 | ||||
On-board services | |||||
Class(es) | AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, Sleeper Class, General Unreserved | ||||
Seating arrangements | Yes | ||||
Sleeping arrangements | Yes | ||||
Catering facilities | Available | ||||
Baggage facilities | No | ||||
Technical | |||||
Rolling stock | LHB coach | ||||
Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
Operating speed | 49 km/h (30 mph) average including halts | ||||
|
History
editKalinga Utkal Express was introduced in 1969 as train no.77/78 Utkal Express, a bi-weekly train from Puri to Hazrat Nizamuddin. The frequency of the train was later increased to 4 days a week. In 1983 Utkal Express was merged with erstwhile train no.143/144 Kalinga Express to become Kalinga Utkal Express and the frequency was also increased to daily.
Route and halts
editThe train runs from Puri via Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Balasore, Tatanagar, Chakradharpur, Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Raigarh, Champa, Bilaspur, Pendra Road, Anuppur Junction, Shahdol, Umaria, Katni Murwara, Saugor, Khurai, Jhansi Junction, Gwalior, Dholpur, Agra Cantonment, Mathura Junction, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Meerut City, Muzaffarnagar, Tapri Junction, Roorkee, Haridwar to Yog Nagari Rishikesh.
Locomotive
editIt is hauled by Tughlakabad / Ghaziabad-based WAP-7 locomotive on its entire journey.
Rakes
editThis train has total 5 rakes running between Puri & Haridwar.
The train has 24 coaches comprising
One A/C 2-Tier
One A/C 1-Tier
Four A/C 3-tier
Twelve Sleeper class
Three General compartments (unreserved)
Two Luggage van (SLR) and
One pantry car.[a]
Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SLR | GS | B1 | A1 | H1 | B2 | B3 | B4 | S1 | S2 | PC | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | S7 | S8 | S9 | S10 | S11 | S12 | GS | GS | SLR |
Accidents
editOn 19 August 2017, heading to Haridwar in Uttarakhand from Puri in Odisha, the Kalinga-Utkal Express derailed with fourteen coaches of the train going off track in Khatauli in Uttar Pradesh.[2][3] The incident resulted in the death of 23 people while injuring 40 others. Minister for Railways, Suresh Prabhu, ordered an inquiry into the incident.[4]
Notes
edit- ^ The coach composition is subject to change.
References
edit- ^ "Railway Budget speech 1970-71" (PDF). www.indianrailways.gov.in. Government of India, Ministry of Railways. 23 February 1970.
- ^ Wilkes, Tommy. "Train derails in Uttar Pradesh, killing about 20 and injuring..." IN. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Railway Tribunal Benches To Settle Claims Of Utkal Express Accident Victims". NDTV.com. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Railway Tribunal Benches To Settle Claims Of Utkal Express Accident Victims". NDTV.com. Retrieved 30 July 2018.