Akal Takht Express
The 12317 / 12318 Akal Takht Express (अकाल तख़्त एक्सप्रेस) is an Indian Railways express train connecting eastern Indian city of Kolkata with northern Indian city of Amritsar.
_bound_12317_(Sealdah-Amritsar)_Akal_Takth_Express.jpg) Amritsar (ASR) bound 12317 Akal Takht Express at Chandanpur, West Bengal | |||||
| Overview | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service type | Superfast | ||||
| Status | Operating | ||||
| First service | 14 April 2000 | ||||
| Current operator(s) | Eastern Railways | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Start | Kolkata (KOAA) | ||||
| Stops | 21 | ||||
| End | Amritsar Junction (ASR) | ||||
| Distance travelled | 1,897 km (1,179 mi) | ||||
| Average journey time | 33 hr 40 min as 12317, 33hr 20 mins as 12318 | ||||
| Service frequency | Bi-Weekly | ||||
| Train number(s) | 12317 / 12318 | ||||
| On-board services | |||||
| Class(es) | AC 1 tier, AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier, Sleeper Class, General Unreserved | ||||
| Seating arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Auto-rack arrangements | No | ||||
| Catering facilities | No Pantry Car but E-Catering available | ||||
| Baggage facilities | Yes | ||||
| Technical | |||||
| Rolling stock | LHB Coaches | ||||
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
| Electrification | 25 kV AC, 50hz | ||||
| Operating speed | 60 km/h (37 mph) average with halts | ||||
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Background
Originally starting from SEALDAH, it's Terminus got changed to Kolkata in 2014. It is a superfast class train travelling 1,900 kilometres (1,200 mi) at an average speed of 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph). It has sleeper, third AC, second AC, first AC and Unreserved type of coaches along with 2 EOG for power. This train has modern LHB Coaches however Pantry car facility is not available with this train but On board catering and E-Catering is available [1][2]
Route
It commences its journey from the Kolkata railway station and travels through the Indian states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab to reach Amritsar of Punjab.
It passes through Asansol, Jasidih,Jhajha,Kiul Junction,Mokama, Patna Junction, Mughalsarai Junction,Varanasi Junction,Sultanpur Junction, Lucknow Charbagh NR, Moradabad Junction, Najibabad Junction, Saharanpur Junction, Ambala Cantonment, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar City.
Coach
The train has standard LHB rakes with max speed of 110 kmph. The train consist of 22 coaches :
- 1 AC I cum AC II Tier
- 1 AC II Tier
- 6 AC III Tier
- 10 Sleeper Coaches
- 2 General
- 2 EOG
| Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |  | EOG | GEN | GEN | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | S7 | S8 | S9 | S10 | S11 | B1 | B2 | B3 | B4 | B5 | A1 | HA1 | EOG |
|---|
Traction
As the route is fully electrified, train is hauled by an Howrah or Beliaghata based WAP-7 electric locomotive from Kolkata to Amritsar and vice versa.
Rake Sharing and Maintenance
The train is maintained by the Kolkata Coaching Depot. The same rake is used for Ananya Express.
References
- "Akal Takht Express/12317 SuperFast Kolkata Sealdah/SDAH to Ambala Cantt./UMB". India Rail Info. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- "Akal Takht Express/12318 SuperFast Amritsar/ASR to Kolkata Sealdah/SDAH". India Rail Info. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.