Current operator(s) Indian Railway End Mangalore | Start Chennai Central Distance travelled 901 km (560 mi) | |
 | ||
Service type Superfast Express Train Locale Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka | ||
The West Coast Express is a daily train connecting the city of Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, with the port city of Mangalore in Karnataka via Coimbatore Junction. It is one of the trains connecting the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea and the oldest train.
Contents
The name traces to the location of Mangalore which is on the west coast of India. It is one of the oldest trains and also provides a day-time connectivity to Coimbatore from Chennai.
The train shares its rake with the Chennai Mangalore Mail which also traverses the same route.
In 2014 Ministry of Indian Railways Announced the Service Type of West Coast Express as Superfast The Schedule and Train Number also Changed from 16627/16628-> 22637/22638.
History
Introduced in 1965 as a Mail/Express train sharing rakes with Chennai Mangalore Mail. It was upgraded to Superfast Express train on June 2014.
Equipment
When introduced, it ran with a WDM-2 from Erode Diesel Loco Shed for the whole journey/ Later after 1987-95 when the Chennai-Jolarpettai Mainline was electrified and till Erode, It started using WAP-4 till Erode, and used a WDM-2 till Mangalore. Then in 2014, it started changing locomotives in Shoranur Junction. Today it gets a WDP-4D from ED or GOC, Or WDM-3D from ED, then WAP-4 from ED or RPM.
It has a total of 23 coaches excluding the locomotive. It has 1 HCPV or High Capacity Parcel Van, 2 Guard Vans (One at each end). 3 General Compartments, 11 Sleeper Coaches, 4 AC Three Tier, 1 AC Two Tier. and an RMS. When it departs Mangalore Central as 22638 for the return journey to Chennai, The RMS or Rail Mail Service coach is put at the end of the train.