Azad Hind Express
 | |||||
| Overview | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service type | Superfast | ||||
| Locale | Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal | ||||
| First service | 2 February 1996 | ||||
| Current operator(s) | Central Railway zone | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Termini | Pune Junction Howrah Junction | ||||
| Stops | 35 | ||||
| Distance travelled | 2,015 km (1,252 mi) | ||||
| Average journey time | 33 hours 20 minutes (according to official time table) | ||||
| Service frequency | Daily | ||||
| Train number(s) | 12129 / 12130 | ||||
| On-board services | |||||
| Class(es) | AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, Sleeper, General | ||||
| Seating arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes | ||||
| Catering facilities | Yes | ||||
| Baggage facilities | Yes | ||||
| Technical | |||||
| Rolling stock | ICF coach | ||||
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
| Operating speed | 65 km/h (40 mph) average with halts | ||||
| |||||
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Azad Hind Express is an express train of Central Railway of Indian Railways linking Pune with Howrah. It covers a distance of 2015 Km. This train was one of the best trains between Pune and Howrah. But in recent years due to South Eastern Railways and South East Central Railways prioritising freight trains over passenger trains, the standard of this train has declined along with many others. Nowadays this train never runs on time. It is almost always rescheduled by an average of 12 hours and it regularly reaches the destination with an average delay of 24 hours. So, it is advised to check arrival and departure time before boarding with an application like NTES or Where is my train. However despite the delays, this train is very much in demand. So if you are planning to travel by this train, it is advised to reserve your ticket atleast 2 months in advance in order to get a seat. Tatkal quota seats fill up very quickly, making last moment ticket availability difficult.
Route[edit]
During its 33-hour journey, (according to official time table) the Azad Hind Express stops at 30 stations.Some of the important stations by which it passes are:
- Kharagpur Junction
- Tatanagar Junction
- Rourkela Junction
- Bilaspur Junction
- Durg Junction
- Nagpur Junction
- Wardha Junction
- Bhusaval Junction
- Manmad Junction
- Ahmednagar
Coach Composition[edit]
The train currently runs with 24 ICF coaches. The coach composition is as follows.
For 12129 (PUNE-HWH)
- 2 SLR (1 at each end)
- 2 Unreserved Coach
- 10 Sleeper Coaches
- 1 Pantry Car
- 6 AC 3-tier coach
- 2 AC 2-tier coach
- 2 Unreserved coach
12130 (HWH-PUNE) runs with exact opposite coach composition.