Four longest railway journeys in India

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Tourism

July 29, 2022

/ By Ashita Goel / New Delhi

Vivek express runs from Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari and passes through 9 states (Photo: Southern Railway Twitter)

Train rides, especially long ones, can be appealing to some because of the leisurely routes and ample space inside the coach. It can be annoying to switch trains, though. Therefore, here are four of the Indian Railway’s longest lines that promise enjoyable travel.

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The Vivek Express

The Vivek Express is the longest rail route in India which travels 4,273 km over 82 hours with 55 planned stops. It runs from Dibrugarh, in northeastern Assam, to Kanyakumari, the southernmost point of the Indian mainland. Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari was one of the four routes that were carved out on the Indian map under the Vivek Express initiation. Other routes of the Vivek Express are from Okha to Thoothukudi, Bandra to Katra and Howrah to Mangaluru.

The train passes through 9 states including Assam, Nagaland, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. During the journey, one can enjoy the landscape outside gradually changing from lush green rice fields, hills and wide rivers to coconut groves and seascapes.

Aronai Superfast Express

Running between Thiruvananthapuram Central and Silchar, the Aronai Express offers the second longest train journey in India which started in 1987. It covers 3915 km at an average speed of 54.57 kmph and stops through 57 well-known stations. The journey takes almost 72 hours passing through Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Travellers can choose from a variety of class coaches on the train, including simple sleeper (SL) and airconditioned sleepers like 3A and 2A as well as coaches with only sitting facility.

Many times, due to water logging and landslides between Jatinga Lumpur – New Harangajao, Bandarkhal – Ditokcherra and other several locations in Lumding – Badarpur hill section of Lumding division, Silchar – Thiruvananthapuram Central Express remains cancelled between Silchar and Guwahati. During the journey, one can have an insight on the Barak valley in Silchar and behold Barak River as well.

Himsagar Express

Himsagar Express connects Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir and Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu once a week. In terms of both mileage and operating time, it is currently the third-longest train on the Indian Railways. The train was started in 1984 which travels across 11 states of India in 72 hours, covering a total of 3714 km at a speed of 52 km per hour while stopping at 65 stations.

The states that the train passes through on its way are Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. On its journey, the train crosses several major rivers of India including Tawi, Sutlej, Yamuna, Betwa, Godavari and Krishna.

Ten Jammu Express

The Ten Jammu Express travels 3,642 km from Tirunelveli in the far south of Tamil Nadu all the way up to Katra in Jammu and Kashmir. It travels for roughly 71 hours and 20 minutes, stopping at 64 stations along the way. Once a week, the train travels through 10 different states including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The launch of this train between Mangalore-Jammu is the commencement of the new era. Among the highlights of the journey are the Tawi River as well as numerous hill stations in the Western Ghats such as Kodaikanal.