Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express

The 12431 / 12432 Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express is a Rajdhani Express train service in India, connecting Hazrat Nizamuddin in the country capital New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram Central, the capital of Kerala state.^[1] It is the longest-running Rajdhani Express train in India, which covers about 2845 km in about 42 hours.^[2]

Hazrat Nizamuddin-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express
Overview
Service type	Rajdhani Express
Locale	Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi
First service	3 July 1993; 31 years ago (1993-07-03)
Current operator(s)	Northern Railways
Route
Termini	Thiruvananthapuram Central (TVC) Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM)
Stops	21
Distance travelled	2,845 km (1,768 mi)
Average journey time	41hrs 25mnts
Service frequency	Tri-weekly
Train number(s)	12431 / 12432
On-board services
Class(es)	AC 1st Class AC 2 Tier AC 3 Tier
Seating arrangements	Yes
Sleeping arrangements	Yes
Catering facilities	Pantry car On-board catering E-catering
Observation facilities	Large windows
Baggage facilities	Luggage Cum Braker van / Generator Car
Technical
Rolling stock	LHB coach
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification	100%
Operating speed	74 km/h (46 mph) average including halts
Rake sharing	Chennai Rajdhani Express Secunderabad Rajdhani Express Madgaon Rajdhani Express
Route map Legend Thiruvananthapuram Central Kollam - Kasaragod Kollam Junction Alappuzha Ernakulam Junction Thrissur Shoranur Junction Kozhikode Kannur Kasaragod Kerala Karnataka border Mangaluru Junction Udupi - Karwar Udupi Karwar Karnataka Goa border Madgaon Junction Ratnagiri - Surat Goa Maharashtra border Ratnagiri Panvel Junction Vasai Road Maharashtra Gujarat border Surat Vadodara Junction Ratlam - Kota Gujarat Madhya Pradesh border Ratlam Junction Madhya Pradesh Rajasthan border Kota Junction Rajasthan New Delhi border Hazrat Nizamuddin 12431 - Trivandrum → Hazrat Nizamuddin 12432 - Hazrat Nizamuddin → Trivandrum

The train number is 12431/12432 which runs only on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Hazrat Nizamuddin also it reverse runs in Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Thiruvananthapuram Central. It connects the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan & New Delhi.^[3]

History

At the time of its introduction it was travelling from Kerala to New Delhi via Erode, Chennai, Nagpur. On 1 April 1998, following opening of Konkan Railway it got re-routed via Mangalore.

Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express standing at Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station.

In initial days the train had very few stops. Until 1999 it was the non-stop Rajdhani between Panvel and Hazrat Nizamuddin. Thereafter stops were introduced in this section. Despite this the train runs non-stop between Kota Junction and Vadodara Junction section (528 km), which is the longest non-stop run in the country. But from 2022 it was provided stoppage at Ratlam Junction, this making it to loose the name longest non-stop train.^[4]

Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani in its ICF avatar

Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express in its iconic Kerala Tourism vinyl wrappings.

It has a record for the highest section speed, reaching 104 km/h (65 mph) between Ratnagiri and Sawantwadi Road (225 km or 140 mi in 2 h 10 min). It also gets a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph) between Nagda and Hazrat Nizamuddin (267 km). It moves at an average speed of 76.36 km/h (47.45 mph) between Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram.

Till 1998, there were only three Rajdhani Express from Delhi to South India. Trivandrum Rajdhani Express was a weekly train back then having rake sharing agreement with Bangalore Rajdhani Express.

Till the introduction of Madgaon Rajdhani Express in 2015, this was the sole Rajdhani Express that traversed through Konkan Railway.

Coach composition

The Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani generally has Two AC 1st Class, 3 AC 2 tier, 12 AC 3 tier coaches, 1 pantry car, and 2 luggage cum generator coaches making a total of 23 LHB coach. Back in 1995, the train had 11 coaches only.

It shares its rakes with Chennai Rajdhani Express, Secunderabad Rajdhani Express and Madgaon Rajdhani Express. Earlier, it also shared its rake with the Bangalore Rajdhani Express.

Coach Position

This coach positioning is for 12431 at Thiruvananthapuram Central.

Loco	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	20	22
WAP 7	EOG	H2	H	A5	A4	A3	A2	A1	PC	B12	B11	B10	B9	B8	B7	B6	B5	B4	B3	B2	B1	EOG

Rake sharing with

• 12433/34 Chennai Central<-->Hazrat Nizamuddin Chennai Rajdhani Express
• 12437/38 Secunerabad Junction<-->Hazrat Nizamuddin Secunerabad Rajdhani Express
• 22413/14 Madgaon Junction<-->Hazrat Nizamuddin Madgaon Rajdhani Express

Route

Route and halts

Kerala

1. Thiruvananthapuram Central
2. Kollam Junction
3. Alappuzha
4. Ernakulam Junction
5. Thrissur
6. Shoranur Junction
7. Kozhikode
8. Kannur
9. Kasaragod

Karnataka

1. Mangaluru Junction
2. Udupi
3. Karwar

Goa

1. Madgaon Junction

Maharashtra

1. Ratnagiri
2. Panvel Junction
3. Vasai Road

Gujarat

1. Surat
2. Vadodara Junction

Madhya Pradesh

1. Ratlam Junction

Rajasthan

1. Kota Junction

Delhi

1. Hazrat Nizamuddin

Traction

Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express, hauled by the iconic WDP-3A (Toaster) locomotive, prior to the route electrification

This train used to get hauled by WDP3A from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Vadodara Junction and then used to get hauled by the WAP-7 of Vadodara shed. Then it was used to get hauled by WDP4D from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Vadodara Junction. But as the electrification of the konkan railway, Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani is hauled by the WAP-7 of Ghaziabad shed or Tuglakabad shed or of Vadodara shed.

Incidents

On 18 October 2018, two coaches of TVC Rajdhani derailed at a staffed level crossing at Thandla Road railway station near Ratlam when a truck rammed into the train. There were no injuries to train passengers but the truck driver was killed due to the collision. The train continued its journey after a delay of 7 hours towards New Delhi.^[5]

See also

• Rajdhani Express