First service 19 January 2015 Start Secunderabad Junction End Visakhapatnam Junction | Current operator(s) South Central Railway Stops 13 | |
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Locale Andhra Pradesh, Telangana | ||
The Secunderabad – Visakhapatnam Express is a superfast AC express train of the Indian Railways running between Secunderabad (SC) and Visakhapatnam (VSKP). It is handled by the South Central Railway (SCR). The train was announced in the 2014 Annual Railway Budget of India and it uses the rake of Secunderabad – Shalimar Express. The train stops at 13 stations en route, connecting major cities like Warangal, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry. The train runs weekly and is the first LHB AC train to be introduced on this route. The train was flagged off from Secunderabad on at 11:15 am on 19 January 2015 by Minister of State of Railways Suresh Prabhu. The locomotive links for this train have not been fixed yet but often the train is hauled by a Lallaguda based WAP 7 or WAP 4 locomotive between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam.
Contents
Overview
Since the train is fully air-conditioned, it has no unreserved coaches. It has 11 third AC, three second AC and one first class coaches. Along with two generator cars, it has 17 coaches in total. The train has no pantry car and offers no catering. The up train departs Secunderabad every Saturday at 17:55 and arrives at Visakhapatnam every Sunday at 06:50. The down train departs Visakhapatnam every Sunday at 19:00 and arrives at Secunderabad every Monday at 07:40. The train runs with an average speed of 55 km/h (34 mph) and has a rake reversal at Vijayawada.
Technical
The train is equipped with LHB coaches. They are considered to be "anti-telescopic", which means they do not get turned over, if the train derails or gets involved in a collision. These coaches are made of stainless steel and the interiors are made of aluminium which make them lighter as compared to conventional rakes. Each coach also has an "advanced pneumatic disc brake system" for efficient braking at higher speeds, "modular interiors" that integrate lighting into ceiling and luggage racks with wider windows. The improved suspension system of LHB coaches ensures more riding comfort for the passengers compared to conventional rakes. The air conditioning system of the LHB coaches is of higher capacity compared to the older rakes and is controlled by a microprocessor which is said to give passengers better comfort than the older coaches during summer and winter seasons. They are relatively quieter as each coach can produce a maximum noise level of 60 decibels while conventional coaches can produce 100 decibels. Each LHB coach costs between Rs 15 million to 20 million, whereas the power car which houses a generator costs about 30 million.