Amarkantak Express
The 12853 / 12854 Amarkantak Express (अमरकंटक एक्सप्रेस) is a daily superfast express train which runs between the Bhopal Junction railway station in Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh and Durg, a city in Chhattisgarh state in central India. This train replaced the 8225/8226 Bhopal - Bilaspur Mahanadi Express along with the 8291/8292 Bhopal - Raipur Express and the 1235/1236 Bhopal - Jabalpur Express.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Superfast |
| Status | Operating |
| Locale | Chhattisgarh & Madhya Pradesh |
| Current operator(s) | South East Central Railways |
| Route | |
| Start | Durg (DURG) |
| Stops | 29 |
| End | Bhopal (BPL) |
| Distance travelled | 893 km (555 mi) |
| Average journey time | 16 hours 10 minutes |
| Service frequency | daily |
| Train number(s) | 12853 / 12854 |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | First AC, AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier, Sleeper Class, General Unreserved |
| Seating arrangements | Available |
| Sleeping arrangements | Available |
| Catering facilities | Available |
| Entertainment facilities | No |
| Baggage facilities | Below the Seats |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | ICF Coaches |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Operating speed | 110 km/h (68 mph) maximum, 55 km/h (34 mph) average with halts |
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The name of the train comes from the name of the city Amarkantak, which is a pilgrim town in the Anuppur District from the state of Madhya Pradesh. The Narmada River, which is the largest river in Central India originates near the city.
Arrival and departure information
Train no. 12854 departs from Bhopal Junction daily at 3.40 pm, reaching Durg the next day at 07.55 am. Train no. 12853 departs daily from Durg at 6.20 pm reaching Bhopal Junction the next day at 10:30 am. This train takes in all 29 halts before reaching its destination[1]
Route & Halts
The train route goes through Itarsi - Jabalpur - Katni South - Anuppur and Bilaspur The important stations along the train route are:
- Bhopal Junction (origination)
- Habibganj, Bhopal
- Obedullaganj
- Hoshangabad
- Itarsi Junction
- Sohagpur
- Pipariya, Hoshangabad
- Bankhedi
- Gadarwara
- Kareli
- Narsinghpur
- Shridham
- Madan Mahal
- Jabalpur Junction
- Sihora Road
- Katni South
- Umaria
- Birsinghpur
- Shahdol
- Burhar
- Anuppur Junction
- Bilaspur Junction
- Bhatapara
- Tilda Newra
- Raipur Junction
- Bhilai Power House
- Durg (Terminal)
Coach composition
The train normally consists of 24 coaches:
- 1 AC 1 cum II Tier (HA1)
- 2 AC II Tier(A1 A2)
- 3 AC III Tier(B1 B2 B3)
- 13 Sleeper Coach (S1-S13)
- 3 General Coach (G1-G3)
- 1 Ladies Reserved Coach
- 1 Handicapped Coach
As is customary with Indian Railways, coaches are added/removed as per the demand.
Average speed and frequency
This is a daily train service in each direction. The trains operate at an average speed of 54 km/hour.
Locomotive
The trains are hauled by the following locomotives:
- Itarsi based WAP 4 / WAP 7 locomotive between Bhopal Junction and Itarsi Junction.
- Bhilai based WAP 7 locomotive between Itarsi Junction and Durg Junction.
Other trains from Bhopal to Bilaspur
- 12441/12442 Rajdhani Express
- 18233/18234 Narmada Express
- 18235/18236 Bhopal - Bilaspur Passenger cum Express
- 18237/18238 Chhattisgarh Express
- 18473/18474 Jodhpur - Puri Express
- 12409/12410 H. Nizamuddin - Raigarh Gondwana Express
- 22910/22909 valsad puri exp