Coromandel Express

The Coromandel Express is a train of the Indian Railways. The daily train runs down the east coast of India between Shalimar railway station, West Bengal, and Chennai Central railway station, Tamil Nadu.

Coromandel Express

Coromandel Express at Nellore
Overview
Service type	Superfast
Status	Active
Locale	West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
First service	6 March 1977 (1977-03-06)
Current operator(s)	South Eastern Railway
Route
Termini	Shalimar (SHM) Chennai Central (MAS)
Stops	14
Distance travelled	1,659 km (1,031 mi)
Average journey time	25 hrs 30 mins
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	12841 / 12842
On-board services
Class(es)	AC First, AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, Sleeper class, Second Sitting
Seating arrangements	Yes
Sleeping arrangements	Yes
Auto-rack arrangements	Available
Catering facilities	Available
Baggage facilities	Below the seats
Technical
Rolling stock	LHB coach
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	130 km/h (81 mph) maximum, 65 km/h (40 mph) average with halts
Route map 12841 ↓ Shalimar Santragachi Junction Kharagpur Junction West Bengal Odisha border Balasore Bhadrak Jajpur Keonjhar Road Cuttack Bhubaneswar Khurda Road Brahmapur Odisha Andhra Pradesh border Visakhapatnam Rajahmundry Tadepalligudem Eluru Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu border 12842 ↑ MGR Chennai Central

Background

The train service is run by South Eastern Railway zone. The route travels across the eastern coast of India along the Bay of Bengal, called the Coromandel Coast, so giving the service its name.

Route

The route uses the Howrah–Chennai main line along the East Coast of India. The route includes a non-stop run between Vijayawada and Chennai, and it runs up to Visakhapatnam with two stops at Eluru and Rajahmundry. The other stops are Brahmapur, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore and Kharagpur.

History

The train was first run on 6 March 1977 as a bi-weekly train between (then) Madras and Howrah. The Coromandel Express was designed to be the equivalent of the Rajdhani Expresses running through the Coromandel Coast. At the time the train had a dining car and library. Over time a cinema was introduced. Whilst initially going to Howrah Station, the West Bengal terminus was eventually moved to Shalimar.

Gallery

• 
  Coromandel Express at Nalpur
• 
  Coromandel Express at Andhra Pradesh

Accidents and incidents

• On 15 August 1997 – 42 Down Coromandel Express collided the Coromandel Express between Visakhapatnam and Brahmapur in Odisha killing 75.
• On 15 August 1999 – Coromandel Express derailed at Dusi, just crossing Nagavalli River killing 50 passengers and injuring 500.
• On 15 March 2002, about seven coaches of the Howrah–Chennai Coromandel Express derailed around 14:40 at Padugupadu road over-bridge in Kovuru Mandal in Nellore district, leaving as many as 100 passengers injured. The poor condition of the main rail track in the Nellore district between Vijayawada and Chennai was suspected of being the cause of the accident.
• On 13 February 2009, the train derailed near Jajpur Keonjhar Road about 100 km away from Bhubaneswar in Orissa killing at least 15 people and leaving several injured, some critically. The reason for the derailment is not known. A high-level inquiry was ordered by the Railways following the incident.
• On 14 January 2012, a fire broke out in a general compartment of the Chennai–Howrah Coromandel Express near Lingaraj railway station. However, the flames were extinguished before they could spread. The fire was spotted in the coach, second from the engine, when the superfast express train was proceeding towards Bhubaneswar, a spokesman of East Coast Railway (ECoR) said. No injury was caused to anyone as the fire brigade was called in immediately and the fire was controlled within 20 minutes. All those on board the superfast train are safe. Prompt steps prevented the fire from spreading. The affected compartment was detached at Bhubaneswar railway station as a precautionary measure and the train proceeded to its destination, the spokesman said. Preliminary information indicated that the fire might have erupted due to the carelessness of some travelers and an inquiry has been ordered into the incident, he added.
• On 30 December 2012 Six elephants including two calves were killed after being hit by Coromandel Express in Odisha's Ganjam district. A bedroll attendant on the train also died in the crash, but the circumstances of his death were unclear.
• On 18 April 2015, a train caught fire at Nidadavolu Junction. Two of the bogies were damaged, said the report. No casualties were reported during the incident.
• On 2 June 2023, Coromandel Express train was involved in an accident in Odisha. The accident is considered one of the deadliest rail accidents in Indian Railways' history with a death count of 296 and over 1,200 injuries.