Hirakud Express
Hirakudkud 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 | 1992 | ||||
| Current operator(s) | South Coast Railway Zone | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Start | Visakhapatnam | ||||
| Stops | 47 | ||||
| End | Amritsar | ||||
| Distance travelled | 2,579 km (1,603 mi) | ||||
| Average journey time | 48 hours 05 minutes | ||||
| Service frequency | tri-weekly | ||||
| Train number(s) | 18507 / 18508 | ||||
| On-board services | |||||
| Class(es) | AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier, Sleeper Class, Unreserved/General | ||||
| Seating arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Catering facilities | Pantry car attached | ||||
| Entertainment facilities | None | ||||
| Baggage facilities | Under seat | ||||
| Technical | |||||
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
| Operating speed | 53 km/h (33 mph) average with halts | ||||
| |||||
_Express_Route_map.jpg.webp)
Etymology
Hira 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
The coach composition of the 18507/18508 train is:
- 1 AC 2 tier + AC 3 tier (Hybrid) coaches
- 3 AC 3 tier coaches
- 10 Sleeper Class coaches
- 6 Unreserved/General coaches
- 2 Second-class Luggage/parcel van
- 1 Pantry car
| Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | GRD | GEN | GEN | GEN | S10 | S9 | S8 | S7 | S6 | S5 | S4 | S3 | PC | S2 | S1 | A1 | B3 | B2 | B1 | GEN | GEN | GEN | GRD |
Timetable
- 18507- Starts from Visakhapatnam every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and reaches Amritsar Junction on 3rd day.
- 18508- Starts from Amritsar Jn every Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday and reaches Visakhapatnam on 3rd day.
Major stops
Rake sharing
This train shares its rake with Visakhapatnam–Hazur Sahib Nanded Superfast Express