The 20807 / 20808 Hirakud Superfast Express is a tri-weekly express train which runs between Amritsar and Visakhapatnam. It passes through the cities of Delhi, Agra, Gwalior, Jhansi, Bilaspur, Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar and Brahmapur. It was initially introduced between Sambalpur and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station (Delhi) in 1992. Later in 2002 it was extended to Bhubaneswar and thereafter up to Visakhapatnam and Amritsar in the coming years.
| Overview | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service type | Express train | ||||
| Locale | Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab | ||||
| First service | 1 July 1992 | ||||
| Current operator(s) | South Coast Railway | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Termini | Visakhapatnam (VSKP) Amritsar Junction (ASR) | ||||
| Stops | 44 | ||||
| Distance travelled | 2,570 km (1,597 mi) | ||||
| Average journey time | 45 hours 45 minutes | ||||
| Service frequency | Tri-weekly | ||||
| Train number(s) | 20807 / 20808 | ||||
| On-board services | |||||
| Class(es) | AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier, Sleeper Class, General Unreserved | ||||
| Seating arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Catering facilities | Available | ||||
| Observation facilities | Large windows | ||||
| Baggage facilities | Under the seats | ||||
| Technical | |||||
| Rolling stock | LHB coach | ||||
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
| Operating speed | 56 km/h (35 mph) average with halts. | ||||
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Etymology
editHira means diamond and Kud means island in Sambalpuri language spoken in Western Odisha. Sambalpur was famous as an ancient diamond mine and reference about it can be found in the works of Claudius Ptolemy, Edward Gibbon, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. Hirakud Express is named after the famous Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur, Odisha which is one of the longest dams of India.
Coach composition
editThe coach composition of the 18507/18508 train is:
- 1 AC 2 Tier
- 4 AC 3 Tier
- 6 Sleeper Class
- 4 Second Class(Unreserved)
- 1 Pantry Car
- 1 EOG
- 1 SRL
From Visakhapatnam to Amritsar
| Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
EOG | GEN | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | PC | S6 | A1 | B1 | B2 | B3 | B4 | GEN | GEN | GEN | SLR |
From Amritsar to Visakhapatnam
| Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
SLR | GEN | GEN | GEN | B4 | B3 | B2 | B1 | A1 | S6 | PC | S5 | S4 | S3 | S2 | S1 | GEN | EOG |
Timetable
edit- 20807- Starts from Visakhapatnam every Saturday, Tuesday and Friday reaches Amritsar Junction on 3rd day.
- 20808- Starts from Amritsar Jn every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and reaches Visakhapatnam on 3rd day.
Route & halts
edit- Visakhapatnam Junction
- Vizianagaram Junction
- Brahmapur
- Khurda Road Junction
- Bhubaneswar
- Talcher
- Sambalpur Junction
- Jharsuguda Junction
- Champa Junction
- Bilaspur Junction
- Anuppur Junction
- Katni Murwara Junction
- Saugor
- Jhansi Junction
- Agra Cantonment
- New Delhi
- Ambala Cantonment Junction
- Ludhiana Junction
- Jalandhar City Junction
- Amritsar Junction.
Rake sharing
editThe train shares its rake with 20811/20812 Visakhapatnam–Hazur Sahib Nanded Superfast Express.
Traction
editIt is hauled by a Visakhapatnam Loco Shed based WAP-7 electric locomotive on its entire journey.