Grand Trunk Express

Kalka Mail from Howrah,151 years

Overview
Service type	Superfast Express
First service	January 1, 1929 (1929-01-01)
Current operator(s)	Southern Railway zone
Route
Start	Chennai Central
Stops	37 (T.No.12615) / 36 (T.No. 12616)
End	Delhi Sarai Rohilla
Distance travelled	2,181 km (1,355 mi)
Average journey time	35 hours 5 minutes
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	12615 / 12616
On-board services
Class(es)	AC First, AC Two Tier, AC Three Tier, Sleeper Class, Unreserved
Seating arrangements	Yes
Sleeping arrangements	Yes
Catering facilities	Yes
Observation facilities	Large and Small windows
Baggage facilities	Luggage-cum-Brake Van
Technical
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	61.78 km/h (38.39 mph) average with halts
Route map

The Grand Trunk Express, (commonly called G.T. or G.T. Express), (Train Number: 12615/12616) is a daily superfast express train on Indian Railways, running between Delhi Sarai Rohilla and Chennai Central. It is a historic and one of the oldest trains operated by the Indian Railways.

History

Introduced by Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, with its headquarters in erstwhile Madras (now Chennai) in 1929,^[1] to run between Peshawar, then part of British India and capital of North West Frontier province in present-day Pakistan and Mangalore, then part of Madras province, almost the entire length of the country and beyond. The historic route passed through New Delhi and Madras, (now Chennai). Later sometime the route got shortened and ran between Lahore(now in Pakistan) and Mettupalayam, near Coimbatore, connecting Ooty and Coonoor, thus making the GT Express probably one of the longest running trains in the country at that time.^[2]

The Peshawar to Mangalore run took about 104 hrs in all, later the end points were changed and to this day it provides a daily service between New Delhi, the capital of India, and the capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai. It covers the distance of 2,186 kilometres (1,358 mi) in exactly 35 hrs 35 mins., with 38 halts (inclusive of the terminals). The train is still one of the longest train routes in India.

In 2015,Indian Railways announced that the train would operate from Delhi Sarai Rohilla instead of New Delhi from December 2015.^[3]

Schedule and Service

The train passes through the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.

As per the numbering of the Indian Railways, the train has been assigned the numbers 12615/12616, with 12615 being assigned for the Chennai Central (MAS) - Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway station(DEE) run and 12616 for the Delhi Sarai Rohilla (DEE) - Chennai Central (MAS) run.

GT Express near NDLS

12616 GT Express at Bhopal Railway Station

The normal composition of the GT is 24 coaches (cars) of the following classes ("AC" indicates air conditioned coach):1 AC I Class cum AC II tier, 2 AC II tier, 3 AC III tier, 13 III tier Sleeper, 4 General/Unreserved and 1 Pantry car.

See also

• Vivek Express
• Himsagar Express
• Kerala Express
• Thirukural Express
• Ganga Kaveri Express

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grand Trunk Express.

• Indian Railways Official Site
• GT Express Route Map

Railways in Southern India
National network / trunk lines	Howrah–Chennai main line New Delhi–Chennai main line Mumbai–Chennai line
Other lines / sections	Chennai Central–Bangalore City line Chennai Egmore–Thanjavur main line Chord Line Coimbatore–Shoranur line Gudivada–Bhimavaram section Gudivada–Machilipatnam branch line Guntakal–Chennai Egmore section Guntur–Macherla section Guntur–Repalle section Jolarpettai–Shoranur line Kazipet–Vijayawada section Kollam–Sengottai branch line Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram trunk line Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section Kothavalasa–Kirandul line Manamadurai–Virudhunagar line Mysore–Bangalore line Mysore–Chamarajanagar branch line Nagpur–Hyderabad line Nilambur–Nanjangud line (Cancelled) Nilambur–Shoranur line Nilgiri Mountain Railway Palakkad–Pollachi line Pagidipalli–Nallapadu section Peralam–Karaikal line Sabari railway line (Proposed) Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section Shoranur–Mangalore section Solapur–Guntakal section Vijayawada–Chennai section Vijayawada–Guntur section Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada section Ernakulam–Kayamkulam coastal line Guntakal–Vasco da Gama section Pune–Miraj–Londa line Bangalore–Arsikere–Hubli line Pamban–Dhanushkodi branch line (Defunct)
Urban and suburban rail transport	Chennai Chennai Suburban Railway Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System Chennai Metro Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System Hyderabad Metro Rail Bangalore Bangalore Commuter Rail Namma Metro Kochi Kochi Metro
Monorails/ Light metros	Bangalore Chennai Coimbatore Kozhikode Tiruchirappalli Thiruvananthapuram
Defunct railways	Cochin State Forest Tramway Kundala Valley Railway
Railway divisions	Bangalore Chennai Bangalore Hubli Madurai Mysore Palakkad Salem Thiruvananthapuram Tiruchirappalli
Named trains	Kerala Ahilya Nagari Express Amritha Express Anantapuri Express Chennai–Alleppey Express Chennai Thiruvananthapuram AC Superfast Express Ernad Express Ernakulam–H.Nizamudin Duronto Guruvayur Express Himsagar Express Howrah - Ernakulam Antyodaya Express Island Express Kannur Jan Shatabdi Express Kanyakumari–Mumbai Express Kerala Express Kollam–Visakhapatnam Express Kozhikode Jan Shatabdi Express Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Ernakulam Duronto Express Malabar Express Marusagar Express Maveli Express Netravati Express Palaruvi Express Parasuram Express Pune–Ernakulam Express Raptisagar Express Sabari Express Tea Garden Express Thiruvananthapuram Mail Thiruvananthapuram–Indore Express Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express Vanchinad Express Venad Express Ajmer–Hyderabad Meenakshi Express Andaman Express Andhra Pradesh Express Bangalore City–Ernakulam Intercity Express Bangalore Rajdhani Express Bangalore Cantonment–Kamakhya Humsafar Express Bhagmati Express Bhubaneswar - Krishnarajapuram Humsafar Express Brindavan Express Chalukya Express Chamundi Express Charminar Express Chemmozhi Express Chennai Rajdhani Express Chennai Central–Coimbatore Shatabdi Express Chennai Hazrat Nizamuddin Duronto Express Chennai–Jaipur Express Chennai–Madurai Duronto Express Chennai–Mysore Shatabdi Express Chennai Egmore–Mangalore Central Express Chennai Central–Vijayawada Jan Shatabdi Express Cheran Express Cholan Express Circar Express Cocanada AC Express Coimbatore–Chennai Express Coimbatore–Jaipur Express Coimbatore–Nagercoil Express Coimbatore–Tuticorin Link Express Coimbatore–Rameswaram Express Coromandel Express Falaknuma Express Ganga Kaveri Express Godavari Express Gol Gumbaz Express Golconda Express Golden Chariot Goutami Express Grand Trunk Express Hampi Express Hirakud Express Howrah–Chennai Mail Howrah–Kanyakumari Express Hubballi - Varanasi Weekly Express Hubballi – Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express Hussainsagar Express Hyderabad–Pune Express Indore–Yesvantpur Express Janmabhoomi Express Kanyakumari Express Kaveri Express Krishna Express Kongu Express Kovai Express Lal Bagh Express Malgudi Express Mangala Lakshadweep Express Mangalore Yaswanthpur Express Manikarnika Express Mannai express Matsyaganda Express Mayiladuthurai–Mysore Express Mumbai CST Chennai Express Mysore–Tuticorin Express Mysore - Dharwad Express Nagarjuna Express Nagercoil Passenger Nagavali Express Narayanadri Express Navjivan Express Navyug Express Nellai Express Nilgiri Express Pallavan Express Pandian Express Pearl City Express Pinakini Express Poorna Express Pothigai Express Rajkot–Coimbatore Express Rani Chennamma Express Rockfort Express Samata Express Sanghamithra Express Satavahana Express Secunderabad Hazrat Nizamuddin Duronto Express Secunderabad Rajdhani Express Secunderabad Mumbai Duronto Express Sharavati Express Sethu Express Silambu Express Simhapuri Express Rameswaram - Faizabad Shraddha Sethu Express Tamil Nadu Express Thirukural Express Tippu Express Tirumala Express Tiruchirappalli–Howrah Superfast Express Tiruchirappalli–Mayiladuthurai Express Tiruchirappalli–Tirunelveli Intercity Express Udyan Express Uzhavan Express Visakha Express Visakhapatnam–Secunderabad Duronto Express Visakhapatnam–Secunderabad Garib Rath Express Vishwamanava Express West coast Express Yesvantpur Puducherry Garib Rath Express Yelagiri Express Yercaud Express
Manufacturing units / workshops / sheds	Diesel Loco Shed, Ernakulam Diesel Loco Shed, Golden Rock Golden Rock Railway Workshop Integral Coach Factory Kollam MEMU Shed Rail Wheel Factory
Railway zones	South Central Railway Southern Railway South Western Railway
Railway companies	Konkan Railway Corporation Kerala Monorail Corporation East Coast State Railway Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway Hyderabad–Godavari Valley Railways Madras Railway Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway
Agitations and accidents	1928 South Indian railway strike 1932 Madras and Southern Mahratta railway strike 1974 railway strike in India 1988 Kollam Peruman train accident Nellore train fire
See also	Timeline of Southern Railway zone Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited Bholu (mascot) Madras Time Thiruvananthapuram–Mangalore high-speed passenger corridor Annual passenger earnings details of railway stations in Kerala
Railways in India portal

Railways in Northern India
National network/ trunk lines	Howrah–Delhi main line New Delhi–Chennai main line New Delhi–Mumbai main line Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line Delhi–Jaipur line Jaipur–Ahmedabad line
Branch lines/ sections	Agra–Bhopal section Ambala–Attari line Amritsar–Pathankot line Bathinda–Rewari line Bilaspur–Mandi–Leh line Chandigarh–Sahnewal line Delhi–Fazilka line Delhi–Kalka line Delhi–Meerut–Saharanpur line Delhi–Moradabad line Jalandhar–Firozpur line Jalandhar–Jammu line Jammu–Baramulla line Jammu–Poonch line Jodhpur–Bathinda line Kanpur–Delhi section Lucknow–Moradabad line Ludhiana–Fazilka line Ludhiana–Jakhal line Marwar Junction–Munabao line Moradabad–Ambala line Mughalsarai–Kanpur section Rewari–Rohtak line Srinagar–Kargil–Leh line Varanasi–Lucknow main line Varanasi–Rae Bareli–Lucknow line
Urban and suburban rail transport	Delhi Suburban Railway Blue Line (Delhi Metro) Green Line (Delhi Metro) Red Line (Delhi Metro) Violet Line (Delhi Metro) Yellow Line (Delhi Metro) Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon Lucknow–Kanpur Suburban Railway Barabanki–Lucknow Suburban Railway Delhi Panipat RRTS Delhi Meerut RRTS Delhi Alwar RRTS
Narrow-gauge railways	Kalka–Shimla Railway
Abandoned lines	Jammu–Sialkot line
Monorails	Patiala State Monorail Trainways (abandoned)
Named trains	Ajmer–Hyderabad Meenakshi Express Ajmer Jammu Express Dayodaya Ajmer–Jabalpur Superfast Express Akal Takht Express Amritsar Mail Ananya Express Andaman Express Andhra Pradesh Express Anand Vihar Muzaffarpur Garib Rath Express Assam Mail Bagh Express Lucknow Bhopal Garibrath Express Bandra Terminus - Ghazipur City Weekly Express Kolkata - Ghazipur City Weekly Express Bhopal–Jaipur Express Bhopal–Jodhpur Passenger Bhopal–Lucknow Express Bhopal–Lucknow–Pratapgarh Express Brahmaputra Mail Chambal Express Champaran Satyagrah Express Chennai Hazrat Nizamuddin Duronto Express Chhattisgarh Express Chitrakoot Express Damoh–Kota Passenger Dayodaya Express Doon Express Durgavati Express Faizabad Delhi Express Faizabad Superfast Express Ganga Kaveri Express Goa Express Godaan Express Golden Temple Mail Gondwana Express Grand Trunk Express Pune–Manduadih Gyan Ganga Express Himalayan Queen Express Himsagar Express Hirakud Express Howrah – New Delhi Duronto Express Howrah - New Delhi Rajdhani Express Howrah New Delhi Yuva Express Indore Express Indore–Chandigarh Express Indore–Dehradun Express Indore–Hazrat Nizamuddin Express Indore–Patna Express Indore – Rajendra Nagar Via. Faizabad Express Indore–Ajmer Express Indore–Ajmer Link Express Indore–Amritsar Express Indore–Jaipur Express Indore–Jaipur Express via Ajmer Indore–Kota Intercity Express Veer Bhumi Chittaurgarh Express Jabalpur–New Delhi Express Jaipur Superfast Express Jhelum Express Kaifiyat Express Kalinga Utkal Express Kalka Mail Kanpur Allahabad Intercity Kanpur–Varanasi Intercity Express Kashi Vishwanath Express Kerala Express Kongu Express Kushinagar Express Lashkar Express Lucknow Mail Magadh Express Mahabodhi Express Mahakoshal Express Mahanagari Express Mahananda Express Malda Town - New Delhi Express Malwa Express Mandore Express Mangala Lakshadweep Express Secunderabad Express Marusagar Express Matsyaganda Express Mewar Express Mithila Express Muzaffarpur Anand Vihar Garib Rath Express Navyug Express Neelachal Express Kalka New Delhi Shatabdi Express New Jalpaiguri - New Delhi SF Express North East Express Patalkot Express Patna–Kota Express Poorva Express Pratham Swatrantata Sangrm Express Prayagraj Express Punjab Mail Purushottam Express Pushpak Express Rajendra Nagar Patna – Indore Express Rajendranagar Express Ranthambore Express Raptisagar Express Ratlam - Udaipur City Express Sabarmati Express Sachkhand Express Saket Express Samata Express Samjhauta Express Sampoorna Kranti Express Sanghamithra Express Sapt Kranti Express Sealdah Rajdhani Express Sealdah – New Delhi Duronto Express Shaan-e-Bhopal Express Shalimar Express Shipra Express Shiv Ganga Express Shram Shakti Express Shramjeevi Express Taj Express Tamil Nadu Express Thar Express Thirukural Express Tirhut Express Udhna Varanasi Express Ujjaini Express Utsarg Express Uttar Sampark Kranti Express Vaishali Express Vikramshila Express West Bengal Sampark Kranti Express
Manufacturing units and workshops	Diesel Locomotive Works Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala Rail Coach Factory, Raebareli
Railway companies	Northern Railway North Eastern Railway North Central Railway North Western Railway East Indian Railway Company Kangra Valley Railway Rajputana–Malwa Railway Tirhut Railway Oudh and Tirhut Railway Indian Branch Railway Company Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Cawnpore–Burhwal Railway Cawnpore–Barabanki Railway Lucknow–Bareilly Railway Bengal and North Western Railway Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway Mashrak-Thawe Extension Railway Lucknow–Sitapur–Seramow Provincial State Railway Bareilly–Pilibheet Provincial State Railway Segowlie-Raxaul Railway Delhi Metro Rail Corporation National Capital Region Transport Corporation
See also	Indian Railways Bholu (mascot) 1974 railway strike in India
Railways in India portal