Coromandel Express

Coromandel Express

Coromandel Express with WAP-4 Loco at Nalpur
Overview
Service type	Superfast
Status	Operating
Locale	West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
First service	6 March 1977 (1977-03-06)
Current operator(s)	South Eastern Railway zone
Route
Start	Howrah (HWH)
Stops	15
End	Chennai Central (MAS)
Distance travelled	1,661 km (1,032 mi)
Average journey time	25 hours 55 minutes
Service frequency	Daily
On-board services
Class(es)	AC first, AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier, Pantry Car, Sleeper Class, General
Seating arrangements	Available
Sleeping arrangements	Available
Auto-rack arrangements	Not Available
Catering facilities	Available
Observation facilities	ICF Coaches
Entertainment facilities	Not Available
Baggage facilities	Below the Seats
Technical
	4
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	120 km/h (74 mph) maximum 65 km/h (40 mph) (average with halts)
Route map

Route map

120 km/h (74 mph) maximum

The Coromandal Express is one of the flagship carriers of the Indian Railways. It is an important superfast train which runs down the east coast of India between Howrah station (HWH) in Kolkata and Chennai Central (MAS) in Chennai daily. It is one of the first earliest Superfast in the history of IR. The Eastern Coast of India along the Bay of Bengal is called the Coromandal Coast and hence the name was given to this train, as it traverses the entire length of the Coromandal coast. This train belongs to the South Eastern Railway Zone. Most of the people going to Chennai prefer this train as the train arrives early then Howrah Chennai Mail. The train runs jampacked throughout the year.

The land of the Chola dynasty was called Cholamandalam in Tamil, literally translated as “the realm of the Cholas”, from which Coromandel is derived. The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula. The Eastern Coast of India along the Bay of Bengal is called the Coromandel Coast and hence the name was given to this train, as it traverses the entire length of the Coromandel coast. This train belongs to the South Eastern Railway zone.

This train is hauled by CLW manufactured WAP-4 class electric locomotives maintained by Electric Loco Shed Santragachi of South Eastern Railway from Howrah to Visakhapatanam and thereafter by Royapuram-based loco to Chennai as per loco links approved by Railway Board. These 5000 hp locomotives are fit to run at 140 km/h but due to limitation of sectional speed, coromandel express runs at a maximum permissible speed of 120 km/h. Immediately after electrification, this train was hauled by Secunderabad (Lallaguda) based WAP-4 loco from Chennai to Howrah but due to difficulty and excessive time required to reverse loco at Vishakhapatnam, subsequently it was decided to run it by Santragachi-based Loco from Howrah to Vishakhapatnam and from Vishakhapatnam to Chennai by Erode-based loco. When Royapuram shed came up near Chennai, Royapuram based loco is utilized to haul it from Vishakhapatnam to Chennai.