Vaigai Express
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 Vaigai Express at Chennai Egmore | |||||
| Overview | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service type | Superfast | ||||
| Status | Active | ||||
| Locale | Tamil Nadu | ||||
| First service | 15 August 1977[1] | ||||
| Current operator(s) | Southern Railway zone | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Termini | Chennai Egmore (MS) Madurai Junction (MDU) | ||||
| Stops | 10 | ||||
| Distance travelled | 493 km (306 mi) | ||||
| Average journey time | 7 hours 25 minutes | ||||
| Service frequency | Daily | ||||
| Train number(s) | 12635 / 12636 | ||||
| Line(s) used | MS-TPJ Chord Line, TPJ-MDU Main Line | ||||
| On-board services | |||||
| Class(es) | AC Chair Car (CC), Second Sitting (2S), Un-Reserved (UR) | ||||
| Disabled access |  | ||||
| Seating arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Sleeping arrangements | No | ||||
| Catering facilities | On-board | ||||
| Observation facilities | Windows in all carriages | ||||
| Entertainment facilities | No | ||||
| Baggage facilities | Overhead racks Baggage carriage | ||||
| Technical | |||||
| Rolling stock | WAP-7 Loco from Electric Loco Shed, Royapuram | ||||
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
| Electrification | 25kV AC, 50 Hz (Overhead Electric Traction) | ||||
| Operating speed | 71.5 km/h (44.4 mph) (Maximum permissible Speed: 130 Kmph) | ||||
| Track owner(s) | Southern Railway zone | ||||
| Timetable number(s) | 7/7A[2] | ||||
| Rake maintenance | Madurai | ||||
| Rake sharing | Pallavan Superfast Express | ||||
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The Vaigai Superfast Express is a Intercity express typed super fast express train running daily between Madurai and Chennai via Tiruchirappalli operated by Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Due to the demand for a day train between Madurai and Madras, which gradually began to increase from the 1970s, the Southern Railway decided to introduce a super fast train for the first time on the MG in Southern railway.
History and background
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The train is named after the Vaigai River which flows from the city of Madurai and the train was first started from there itself.[3]
On 15 August 1977 at 6 am, Down Train No. 135 Vaigai Express began its inaugural journey from Madurai Junction to Madras Egmore, with 16 yellow and green livery coaches and a matching YDM4 diesel loco. When it was introduced in 1977, this train had 16 coaches, hauled by twin-YDM4 diesel locos, and by 1984 it was bifurcated as the Pallavan Superfast Express, comprising eight coaches.
The Vaigai express clocked the fastest run between Madurai and Madras Egmore over a distance of 497 kilometres (309 mi) on the first day in 7 hours and 5 minutes when it entered Madras Egmore at 1.05 p.m. that afternoon, matching the speed of many Broad Gauge super fast trains on the SR. For safety purposes the train was slowed down to a journey time of 7 hours and 40 minutes later on. At that time the train had only three stops they are Villupuram Junction, Tiruchirappalli Junction and Dindigul Junction. Later on the stops were increased due to demands of people.
From 1999 onwards, Vaigai Express has been converted from Meter Gauge to Broad Gauge and hauled by Broad gauge Diesel Locomotives of Golden Rock. From 12 February 2014, the Vaigai Express is being hauled by electric locomotive WAP-4.[4]
9 July 2015 onwards this train is regularly hauled by WAP-7 class electric locomotives maintained by Electric Loco Shed, Royapuram.[5] This train got updated with modern LHB coaches from 30 June 2019.[6]
Record-breaking run
Vaigai Express made a historic record by covering the distance of 495 km from Madurai to Chennai in 6 hours 40 minutes, on 3 March 2022 12636 MDU-MS Vaigai express departed Madurai with a delay of 21 minutes at 7.26 AM but the train reached its destination 23 minutes before its scheduled time by 2:07 pm, breaking its own best record on the inaugural of 7 hour 5 minutes on 15 August 1977 on metre-gauge section. The Hindu Madurai edition published this news about the record-breaking run by the Vaigai Express on 5 March 2022.[7]
On 15 October 2022, Vaigai Express set a new record of covering the distance of 495 km from Madurai to Chennai in 6 hours 34 minutes.[8]
History of Uniqueness
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It was the only train at that time in SR which had completely tube lighted interiors and sun control sliding glass shutters installed for the first time in all its eight-second class coaches.
This the only MG train on the SR to be fitted with specially enhanced buffers and certified to run at 110 km/h.
For the first time on the MG, the ICF manufactured two 40-seat AC chair car coaches exclusively for the Vaigai and Pallavan express and used in those trains.
It was the first train in Madurai railway division that ran on electric traction after completion of 92 km long 25-KV overhead railway electrification of Dindigul - Trichy Section on 6 September 2011.[9]
Accident
Between August 1978 to January 1979 Vaigai Express was involved in accidents twice. On 21 December 1978 it dashed against two boulders between Talanallur and Vriddhachalam Town stations and on 22 December 1978 it derailed at Tiruchirappalli station.[10]
Rakes
| Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
EOG | UR | C1 | C2 | C3 | D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | PC | D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | UR | UR | EOG |
See also
- Pandian Superfast Express
- Pallavan Superfast Express
- Rockfort (Malaikottai) Superfast Express
- Pearl City (Muthunagar) Superfast Express
- Nellai Superfast Express
References
- ^ "Railway Budget speech 1978-79" (PDF). www.indianrailways.gov.in. Government of India, Ministry of Railways. 21 February 1978.
- ^ "Combined South Zone Timetable - 2015" (PDF). Southern Railway zone. Indian Railways. 2015. pp. 51–56. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Names of trains" (PDF). indianrailways.gov.in. p. 77. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
Contents & Interpretation of the author only, not official
- ^ "First electric engine pulls out of Madurai". The Hindu. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "More WAP-7 locos for Madurai division". The Hindu. 11 July 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Vaigai and Pallavan express trains to get LHB coaches". The Times of India. 29 June 2019. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ Sundar, S. (5 March 2022). "Vaigai Express breaks its own speed record". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022.
- ^ "Vaigai Express reaches Chennai in record time". The Hindu. 16 October 2022. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Vaigai Express runs on electric traction". The Hindu. 7 September 2011. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/2057/1/lsd_06_07_01-03-1979.pdf Page no. 98
External links
