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Kovai Express

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kovai Superfast Express
Overview
Service typeExpress
LocaleTamil Nadu
First service14 April 1977; 47 years ago (1977-04-14)
Current operator(s)Southern Railway zone
Route
TerminiPuratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station (MAS)
Coimbatore Junction (CBE)
Stops10
Distance travelled502 km (312 mi)
Average journey time7 hours 55 minutes
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)12675 / 12676
On-board services
Class(es)AC Chair Car, Second Class Sitting, General Unreserved
Seating arrangementsYes
Sleeping arrangementsNo
Catering facilitiesAvailable
Observation facilitiesLarge windows
Technical
Rolling stockLHB coach
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed66 km/h (41 mph) average with halts
Route map

The 12675 / 12676 Kovai Express is a daily superfast express train on Indian Railways, running between Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station and Coimbatore Junction. The train made its inaugural run on 14 April 1977 and was one of the fastest Express trains in India, with an average speed of 65 km/h including stops . It is also one of the most prestigious trains of Southern Railway.

Name

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The train is named after Coimbatore, which is also known as Kovai.

Service

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This train is an all day, day time superfast and has a Chair Car (Coach) seating arrangement with air-conditioned and non-air conditioned coaches and Pantry car. The 12679/12680 Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Chennai Central Railway Station - Coimbatore Junction Intercity Superfast Express is its opposite route partner.

Route and stations

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Kovai Express, or popularly referred to as Kovai, connects Tamil Nadu's state capital Chennai and its second largest city Coimbatore, a major textile, educational and engineering center. This train covers 6 corporation cities out of 12 in the state: Chennai, Vellore, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore. The route covers most of the major industrial hubs in the north west part of Tamil Nadu. En route, starting from Coimbatore, it covers important towns of Tirupur, an international hosiery goods exporting town, Erode, a principle agricultural and major Industrial town, Salem which is a major steel and mineral town,[1] Morappur, a station that serves passengers from Dharmapuri and surrounding areas, major leather goods exporting centers Ambur, Vaniyambadi,[2] Arakkonam Junction The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), INS Rajali Naval Air Station and Vellore-Katpadi which has both a medical center a university.[3]

Rake

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Kovai Express contains a total number of 22 LHB coach. Previously it has a single dedicated rake unit but now its rakes are being shared with Brindhavan Express. Its rakes are maintained at GSN yard, Bainbridge, Chennai. The current composition is as follows:

EOG UR UR C1 C2 D1 D2 D3 D4 PC D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 UR UR UR UR UR EOG

Historic information

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The old number was 75/76, later changed in the 1980s to 2675/2676, as per new four-digit format numbering system later adopted by the Indian Railways. From December 2011 onwards 5-digit train number system was introduced all over India and accordingly Kovai express train number was again changed as 12675/12676. In 1978 it was pulled by a Diesel Engine with Kovai Express boldly written on it. It used to start from Chennai at 6 A.M and its next stop was Katpadi arriving at 7.43 A.M. Other stops at that time was Jolarpet, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore. It used to reach Cbe at 2 p.m. and start back at 2.20 p.m. Now Shatabdi Express has taken over the Kovai express timings.

Time table

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MAS 》CBE 12675

Station code Station name Arrival Departure
MAS Chennai Central SRC 06:10
AJJ Arakkonam Jn 07:08 07:10
WJR Walajah Road Jn 07:38 07:40
KPD Katpadi Jn 08:03 08:05
AB Ambur 08:43 08:45
JTJ Jolarpettai 09:23 09:25
MAP Morappur 10:09 10:10
SA Salem Jn 11:07 11:10
ED Erode Jn 12:07 12:10
TUP Tiruppur 12:53 12:55
CBE Coimbatore Jn 14:05 DSTN

CBE 》MAS 12676

Station code Station name Arrival Departure
CBE Coimbatore Jn SRC 15:15
TUP Tiruppur 15:58 16:00
ED Erode Jn 16:47 16:50
SA Salem Jn 17:43 17:45
MAP Morappur 18:33 18:35
JTJ Jolarpettai 19:23 19:25
AB Ambur 19:54 19:55
KPD Katpadi Jn 20:33 20:35
WJR Walajah Road Jn 20:54 20:55
AJJ Arakkonam 21:23 21:25
PER Perambur 22:13 22:15
MAS Chennai Central 22:50 DSTN

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The changing face of steel city". The Hindu. The Hindu = 2011. 22 January 2011.
  2. ^ [1] The Hindu: Growth sets Ambur leather sector shining
  3. ^ [2] Indian Express : Vellore Medical experts
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