Service type Mail/Express Current operator(s) Indian Railways Stops 61 | Status Operating Start Pune (PUNE) | |
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First service 1979; 38 years ago (1979) | ||
The Jhelum Express is a daily train on the Indian Railways. It runs from Pune, the cultural capital of Maharashtra, to Jammu Tawi, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, in North India.
Contents
The train is strategically important, as it connects the headquarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Army, Pune, with an important border city.
History
The Jhelum Express is one of the oldest trains originating from Pune. Started in 1979, it was the first train connecting Pune to the capital city of New Delhi. The train was initially started for the army.
Number and nomenclature
The train was named for the River Jhelum, a notable river in Jammu and Kashmir. The Up train, Pune – Jammu Tawi, has the number 11077, while the Down train, Jammu Tawi – Pune, is numbered 11078.
Future prospects
With the doubling and electrification of the Daund – Manmad section and the Jalandhar – Pathankot – Jammu Tawi section, the Jhelum Express is expected to run faster, with comparatively less running time. Moreover, with the completion of Katra Banihal section in 2018 December, the train is also expected to be extended to Srinagar, linking the important army setups in Kashmir with Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur and Southern Command headquarters in Pune.
Traction
Initially it was hauled by Pune based twin WDM-3A or a single WDP-4 from Pune till Manmad after which it was hauled by a Bhusaval based WAP-4 or Ghaziabad based WAP-7 or WAP-4 until Jalandhar after which it was hauled by a Ludhiana based WDM-3A till Jammu Tawi.
With the electrification of the Jalandhar-Pathankot-Jammu Tawi section in 2014 and Pune-Daund-Manmad section in 2016, it is hauled end-to-end by either a Bhusaval based WAP-4 or a Ghaziabad based WAP-7.