Howrah–Ernakulam Antyodaya Express

The Howrah – Ernakulam Antyodaya Superfast Express is a Fully Unreserved Superfast Express train of the Indian Railways connecting Howrah Junction in Kolkata's West Bengal and Ernakulam Junction in Kochi Kerala. It is currently being operated with 22877/22878 train numbers on a weekly basis. It has been a lifeline for the migrant workers from Eastern India. Thousands of workers use this train to travel from West Bengal and Odisha to the industrial cities in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.^[2]

Howrah Junction – Ernakulam Junction Antyodaya Superfast Express
Overview
Service type	Antyodaya Express
Status	Running
First service	27 February 2017; 8 years ago (2017-02-27)[1]
Current operator(s)	South Eastern Railways
Ridership	Weekly
Route
Termini	Howrah (HWH) Ernakulam (ERS)
Stops	23
Distance travelled	1,970 km (1,220 mi)
Average journey time	37h
Service frequency	Weekly[a]
Train number(s)	22877 / 22878
On-board services
Class(es)	Unreserved
Seating arrangements	Yes
Sleeping arrangements	No
Auto-rack arrangements	Up
Catering facilities	No
Observation facilities	Large windows
Entertainment facilities	No
Technical
Rolling stock	LHB-Antyodaya
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification	Fully Electrified
Operating speed	63 km/h (39 mph)
Route map

Coach composition

The train is a completely general coach train designed by the Indian Railways with features of LED screen display to show information about stations, train speed, etc. Vending machines for tea, coffee, and milk; bio toilets in compartments; CCTV cameras, facility for potable drinking water, mobile charging points, and toilet occupancy indicators are available.

Service

It averages 64 km/h as 22877 Antyodaya Express starts on Saturday and covering 2285 km in 37 hrs and 64 km/h as 22878 Antyodaya Express starts on Tuesday, covering 1968 km in 37 hrs 15 mins.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

This train serves one of the busiest corridors of migrant laborer movement in India. That is from Eastern India to Southern Indian cities of Kochi, Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Ongole, Vijayawada, Eluru, Rajahmundry, Vijaynagaram etc.

Route & halts

• Howrah
• Kharagpur Junction
• Balasore
• Bhadrak
• Cuttack Junction
• Bhubaneswar
• Khurda Road Junction
• Brahmapur
• Palasa
• Srikakulam Road
• Vizianagaram Junction
• Duvvada
• Rajahmundry
• Eluru
• Vijayawada Junction
• Ongole
• Renigunta Junction
• Katpadi Junction
• Jolarpettai Junction
• Salem Junction
• Erode Junction
• Coimbatore Junction
• Palakkad Junction
• Thrissur
• Aluva
• Ernakulam Junction

Loco link

Both trains are hauled by a Santragachi / Tatanagar-based WAP-7 electric locomotives.

Operation

22877 – leaves Howrah Junction on Saturday and reaches Ernakulam Junction on day 3 at morning 6:00 hrs IST

22878 – leaves Ernakulam Junction every Tuesday at 00:20 hrs IST in night and reach Howrah Junction on 2nd day at 14:50 hrs IST

See also

• Antyodaya Express

• Howrah–Yesvantpur Humsafar Express

Notes

1. Runs once in a week for every direction.