Hirakud Express
Overview | |||||
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Service type | Express train | ||||
Locale | Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab | ||||
First service | 1992 | ||||
Current operator(s) | East Coast Railway Zone | ||||
Route | |||||
Start | Vishakhapatnam | ||||
Stops | 45 | ||||
End | Amritsar | ||||
Distance travelled | 2,579 km (1,603 mi) | ||||
Average journey time | 48 hours 05 minutes | ||||
Service frequency | tri-weekly | ||||
Train number(s) | 18507 / 18508 | ||||
On-board services | |||||
Class(es) | AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, Sleeper, General | ||||
Seating arrangements | Yes | ||||
Sleeping arrangements | Yes | ||||
Catering facilities | Yes, Paid service | ||||
Observation facilities | Small ICF Windows | ||||
Entertainment facilities | None | ||||
Baggage facilities | Under Seat | ||||
Technical | |||||
Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
Operating speed | 53 km/h (33 mph) average with halts | ||||
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Hirakud Express is a tri-weekly express train which runs between Amritsar and Visakhapatnam. It passes through the cities of Delhi, Mathura, Jhansi, Katni, Bilaspur, Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, Brahmapur and Vizaynagaram. It was initially introduced between Sambalpur and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station (Delhi) in 1992. Later in 2002 it was extended to Bhubaneswar on Sambalpur side and there after up to Visakhapatnam and up to Amritsar on the other side in the coming years.
Etymology
Hira means diamond and Kud means Island in Sambalpuri language spoken in Western Odisha. Sambalpur was famous as an ancient diamond mine and reference about it can be find in the works Claudius Ptolemy, Edward Gibbon, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. Hirakud Express literary means the Diamond Island Express, is named after the famous Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur, Odisha which is one of the longest dams of India.
See also
Coach composition
The coach composition of the 18508 train is:
- 1 AC II Tier + III Tier (Hybrid)
- 3 AC III Tier
- 10 Sleeper Coaches
- 6 General
- 2 Second-class Luggage/parcel van
Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GRD | GEN | GEN | GEN | S10 | S9 | S8 | S7 | S6 | S5 | S4 | S3 | PC | S2 | S1 | A1 | B3 | B2 | B1 | GEN | GEN | GEN | GRD |
TimeTable
18507- Starts form Visakhapatnam every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday at 23:50 HRS IST are reach Amritsar Jn on 3day at 23:30 Hrs IST
18508 - Starts for Amritsar Jn every Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday at 23:45 PM IST and reach Visakhapatnam on 3rd Day at 23:50 PM IST