| Purushottam Express | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Service type | Superfast express |
| Locale | Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh & Delhi |
| Current operator(s) | East Coast Railway |
| Route | |
| Start | Puri |
| No. of intermediate stops | 27 |
| End | New Delhi |
| Distance travelled | 1,863 km (1,158 mi) |
| Average journey time | 31h 0m |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Train number(s) | 12801 / 12802 |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | 2A-1(A-1);3A-4(B-1,B-2,B-3,B-4);SL-12(S-1 to S-12);PC-1;GENL-2;SLR-2; |
| Seating arrangements | Yes |
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes |
| Technical | |
| Gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Operating speed | 64 km/h (40 mph) average with halts |
Purushottam Express is a daily train which runs between Puri,The home to Lord Jagannath of Orissa and New Delhi in Delhi .This is one of the oldest train that connects Puri to New Delhi.This been a very popular train among the people of Orissa which covers the distance in two nights & a full day. With the introduction of faster trains like the Rajdhani & Sampark Kranti Purushottam express still manages to run packed 365 days a year.
Purushottam Express is involved in the deadly rail accident on August 20, 1995 it collided to stationary Kalindi Express near Firozabad on the Delhi-Kanpur section of India's Northern Railway, at 02:55am. This Firozabad rail disaster is considered as second most deadliest rail accident in Indian rail history with 358 people died (official list), however local people involved in rescue operation claim that the death toll is more than 400. The accident happened in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh; both trains were bound for the Indian capital, Delhi. The first train, the "Kalindi Express" from Kanpur struck a cow but was unable to proceed as its brakes were damaged. It was then struck from behind at a speed of 70 mph by the Purashottam Express from Puri. Three carriages of the Kanpur express were destroyed, the engine and front two carriages of the Puri train were derailed. Most of the 2200 passengers aboard the two trains were asleep at the time of the accident.