Gitanjali Express

Gitanjali Express

Gitanjali Express
Overview
Service type	Superfast
First service	26 December 1977
Current operator(s)	East Coast Railway
Route
Start	Mumbai CST
Stops	Dadar, Kalyan, Nashik Road, Bhusaval, Akola, Badnera, Wardha, Nagpur, Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Tatanagar, Kharagpur and Santragachi
End	Howrah
Distance travelled	1,968 kilometres (1,223 mi)
Average journey time	30 hrs 30 mins (for 12859) & 31 hrs 30 mins (for 12860)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	12859 / 12860
On-board services
Class(es)	AC, Sleeper, General
Seating arrangements	Yes
Sleeping arrangements	Yes
Catering facilities	Available (paid)
Technical
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Route map Gitanjali Express Route map

Gitanjali Express is a daily train running between two metro cities, Kolkata, (Howrah Station) in West Bengal and Mumbai, (Mumbai CST) in Maharashtra connecting the East with the West. Numbered 12859/60 this train belongs to the superfast category. This train takes 30½ hrs to cover the distance of 1968 km between Mumbai and Howrah while the return takes 31.5 hrs. This is first train which depart behind pure AC Loco from Mumbai CST after conversion of Mumbai CST to Thane from DC to AC.

Coach of 12859 Geetangali Express

Relevance

Rabindranath Tagore a famous poet of India wrote the book Geetanjali.^[1] Since this train, too, starts from Bengal this train has the same name. People love the train as much the book. This is the first Classless train in India introduced by Ex Railway Minister Prof. Madhu Dandvate on 26 December 1977.^[2]

Route

This train goes via Dadar, Kalyan, Nashik Road, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Malkapur, Shegaon, Akola, Badnera, Wardha, Nagpur, Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Chakradharpur, Tatanagar, Kharagpur and Santragachi to reach Howrah Junction and vice versa.

Arrival And Departure

Train No.12859 Leaves source point, Mumbai Cst (CSTM) at 6:00 am and reach its destination station at 12:30 noon the next day.^[3] Train No.12860 leaves Howrah Jn (HWH) at 1:50 pm and reach its destination, Mumbai CST (CSTM) at 9:20 pm next day.^[4]

Technical information

This train belongs to the East Coast Railway and shares its rakes with 18410 / 09 Sri Jagannath Express, plus its coaches are also maintained by the same i.e. ECoR at Puri. This train is hauled by an Santragachi (SRC) or Bhusaval based WAP-4 from Howrah Junction to Mumbai CST and vice versa.

Coach Composition

Loco	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
	SLR	GEN	S1	S2	S3	S4	S5	S6	S7	S8	S9	S10	S11	S12	S13	PC	S14	B1	B2	A1	A2	GEN	GEN	SLR

References

^[1]

1. ↑ "Gitanjali Express".