Top 5 Longest Train Routes in India

Indian Railways (IR) is one of the largest rail networks in the world, comprising 115,000 km (71,000 mi) of track along a 67,312 km (41,826 mi) and 7,112 stations route. In 2014-15, IR was carrying 8,397 billion passengers a year or more than 23 million passengers a day (about half of which were suburban passengers) and 1058,81 million tons of freight a year. IR runs 12,617 passenger trains daily, and 7,421 freight trains. If you are a rail enthusiast just like Sheldon Cooper, then you should know some surprising facts about Indian Railways. Indian Railways has a long list of running trains, some of them run for less than 20km and some over 2000km. Sometimes, we wonder which train covers the longest railway route in India or which train has set the record for longest travelling train in India. If you are also curious to know some unknown facts about the longest train route of India, then you have landed at the right place.

Here is a list of top 5 longest train routes in India. Keep in mind that here we have only listed the longest passenger train route in India.

Vivek Express (15905/15906)
The first on the list of longest railway routes in India is the Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Express. It passes through important cities such as Tinsukia, Dimapur, Guwahati, Bongaigaon, Alipurduar, Siliguri, Kishanganj, Malda, Rampurhat, Pakur, Durgapur, Asansol, Kharagpur, Balasore, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Khordha, Brahmapur, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Samalkot, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Vijayawada, Ongole, Nellore, Renigunta, Vellore, Salem, Erode, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thrissur, Aluva, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Chengannur, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram and Nagercoil. It is the longest running train in India.
Distance covered: 4282 kilometers
Origin station: Kanyakumari (TamilNadu)
Destination station: Dibrugarh (Assam)
Frequency: Weekly
Departure/Arrival time:
For 15905 – Departs at 23:00 on Thursdays from Kanniyakumari, Arrives at 06:40 on Mondays at Dibrugarh
For 15906 – Departs at 23:05 on Saturdays from Dibrugarh, Arrives at 09:55 on Wednesdays at Kanniyakumari

Interesting facts of Vivek Express:

1. The Vivek Express train covers the longest train route in India.
2. The Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express has 57 stops or stops all along the route.
3. The Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express holds the current record as the train linking India’s longest train line, as well as the highest train running time.
4. Vivek express are four pairs of express trains, and they started operations on Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birthday. They were commissioned during the 2011-12 year under the railway budget.
5. The Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express travels through seven Indian states namely Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.
6. On one portion of the trip, the train uses a diesel engine, and uses an electric engine for the other.
7. Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express has a weekly service. The train leaves Kanyakumari at 11pm and reaches Dibrugarh at 06:40 am on the fifth day.
8. At Durgapur railway station and Visakhapatnam Junction, the train performs loco reversal.

Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express has two Tier coaches, three Tier AC coaches, sleeper class coaches that can be booked earlier. With unreserved tickets issued, several second seating coaches can be boarded from the counter.
If you wish to travel in this train, don’t forget to check Vivek Express train schedule Also, Dibrugarh-KanyaKumari is considered as the longest route passenger train in India. There are total four Vivek express running in the Indian Railways.

Aronai Superfast Express (12507/12508)
The 12507/08/15/16 Thiruvananthapuram Central-Silchar Express, commonly known as Aronai Superfast Express is an Indian Railways-Northeast Frontier Railway Zone Superfast express train that runs between Thiruvananthapuram Central and Silchar, India.
Distance covered: 3932 kilometers
Origin station: Thiruvananthapuram Central (Kerala)
Destination station: Silchar (Assam)
Frequency: Weekly
Departure/Arrival time:
For 12507 – Departs at 16:55 on Tuesdays from Thiruvananthapuram Central, Arrives at 19:00 on Fridays at Silchar
For 12508 – Departs at 20:05 on Thursdays from Silchar, Arrives at 22:40 on Sundays at Thiruvananthapuram

Interesting facts of Aronai Superfast Express:

1. It holds the record for the most delayed train in Indian Railways, being delayed by an average of 10-12 hours.
2. The train initially ran between Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati, but it has been extended to Silchar since 21 November 2017.
3. It is the longest running superfast train in India and the second longest running train after Vivek Express.
4. Aronai Express starts from Silchar (SCL) at 20:05, reaches Guwahati (GHY) at 06:00, Kamakhya (KYQ) at 06:35, Howrah Jn (HWH) at 00:45, Bhubaneswar (BBS) at 07:50, Visakhapatnam (VSKP) at 15:25, Chennai Central (MAS) at 04:30 and Coimbatore Jn (CBE) at 12:55.
5. It stops at 54 stations in its route between Silchar and Trivandrum Central.
6. It serves the 8 states of Indian including Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Passengers use 12508 Aronai Express to travel mostly from Kokrajhar to Thiruvananthapuram, Kokrajhar to Tiruvalla, Kokrajhar to Thrisur, Kokrajhar to Ernakulum and Kokrajhar to Chengannur. You can check the live running status and train schedule of Aronai Superfast Express in one click.

TRAIN FACT:
Which is the Longest Train with maximum coaches in India?
Answer: Hyderabad Deccan-Vishakhapatnam Godavari SF Express and New Delhi-Allahabad Prayagraj Express. These trains run with 26 coaches.

Himsagar Express (16317/16318)
Himsagar Express is a weekly express train of Indian Railways running from Kanyakumari in the southernmost state of Tamil Nadu to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra in Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of India. It is one of the major railway routes of India connecting two opposite ends of the country. It is third on the list of longest train routes in India.
Distance covered: 3782 kilometers
Origin station: Kanyakumari (TamilNadu)
Destination station: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (Jammu & Kashmir)
Frequency: Weekly
Departure/Arrival time:
For 16317 – Departs at 14:15 on Fridays from Kanyakumari, Arrives at 12:55 on Mondays at Jammu Tawi.
For 16318 – Departs at 23:45 on Mondays from Jammu Tawi, Arrives at 22:25 on Thursdays at Kanyakumari.

Interesting facts of Himsagar Express:

1. It is currently the third longest travelling train in India in terms of distance and time.
2. It takes 71 hrs 10 mins to reach from its source to the destination.
3. The train covers a distance of 3715 km at an average speed of 53km/h.
4. It traverses twelve of India’s states including TamilNadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir.
5. Because of its schedule, it needs just one rake to complete its entire run.
6. The train has 19 coaches comprising One Second AC (2AC), Two Third AC (3AC), Ten Sleeper class (SL), Three Unreserved coaches (UR/GS), Two Luggage rakes (SLR) and One Pantry car (PC).

If you have booked your ticket in Himsagar Express, you should check the train schedule and running status prior to your journey.

Navyug Express (16687/16688)
Navyug literally translates to “New Era” and the Navyug Express train showcases that. This weekly express train runs from Jammu Tawi to Mangalore Central covers a distance of 3607 km and takes 68 hours to reach its destination. It passes through 12 states and stops at 61 stations, including Calicut, Coimbatore Junction, Vijayawada, Bhopal Junction, Jhansi Junction, Gwalior, Agra and New Delhi. Navyug Express is the fourth longest travelling train in India.
Distance covered: 3674 kilometers
Origin station: Mangalore Central (Karnataka)
Destination station: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (Jammu & Kashmir)
Frequency: Weekly
Departure/Arrival time:
For 16687 – Departs at 17:05 on Mondays from Mangalore Central, Arrives at 15:10 on Thursdays at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra
For 16688 – Departs at 21:55 on Thursdays from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Arrives at 23:00 on Sundays at Mangalore Central

Interesting facts of Navyug Express:

1. The major stops enroute of Navyug Express are Kannur, Kozhikode, Shornur Junction, Palakkad Junction, Coimbatore Junction, Katpadi, Tirupati, Gudur, Nellore, Tenali, Vijayawada, Warangal, Ramagundam, Nagpur, Itarsi Junction, Bhopal Junction, Jhansi Junction, Gwalior, Agra and New Delhi.
2. It travels through most of the states in India, passing through Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry(Mahe), Kerala and Karnataka.
3. There are two types of locomotives used in Navyug Express. One is WDP-4D from Katra to New Delhi, and the other one is WAP-4 from New Delhi to Mangalore Central.
4. 16687 MAQ-SVDK NAVYUG EXP has a maximum halt time of 110 minutes at New Delhi (NDLS).

New Tinsukia – Bengaluru Weekly Express (22501/22502)
Bengaluru – New Tinsukia Weekly SF Express, also known as Bangaluru Express is one of the prominent trains of Indian railways that runs between KSR Bengaluru City Junction and New Tinsukia Junction. This train connects Tinsukia, the eastern most town of Assam with the South Indian Metropolis Bengaluru. The train has 2 tier, 3 tier and sleeper class coaches.
Distance covered: 3563 kilometers
Origin station: Bengaluru City Jn (Karnataka)
Destination station: New Tinsukia Jn (Assam)
Frequency: Weekly
Departure/Arrival time:
For 22501: Departs at 03:10 on Tuesdays from Bengaluru City Jn, Arrives at 20:45 on Thursdays at New Tinsukia Jn
For 22502: Departs at 17:55 on Fridays from New Tinsukia Jn, Arrives at 11:30 on Mondays at Bengaluru City Jn

Interesting facts of New Tinsukia – Bengaluru Weekly Express:

1. Important stations and halts enroute on this train are Katpadi, Perambur, Nellore, Ongole, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam, Brahmapur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Balasore, Kharagpur, Howrah, Bolpur, Malda Town, New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri Junction, Alipurduar, and New Bongaigaon.
2. NTSK SBC EXPRESS 22502 train passes through 40 major stations in 4 days to reach from New Tinsukia Jn to Bengaluru City Jn.
3. It takes a total of 65:35 hours to complete its journey.
4. Maximum halt time for this train is 20 minutes at Howrah Jn(HWH).
5. If you want to get down from the train and buy anything from the station or for a little fresh air, it’s safe to get down at Howrah Jn.
6. It starts from New Tinsukia Jn (NTSK) at 17:55, reaches Dibrugarh (DBRG) at 18:50, Guwahati (GHY) at 05:13, New Jalpaiguri (NJP) at 14:20, Malda Town (MLDT) at 18:30, Howrah Jn (HWH) at 00:45, Bhubaneswar (BBS) at 07:50 and Vishakapatnam (VSKP) at 15:25.
7. Passengers use 22502 New Tinsukia – KSR Bengaluru SF Express to travel mostly from Furkating Jn to Bengaluru, Mariani Jn to Bengaluru, New Tinsukia Jn to Bengaluru and Dibrugarh to Bengaluru.

Recommended Read:IRCTC Ticket Cancellation and Refund Rules 2020: Everything You Need to Know

While we are talking about the longest distance train in India, we should also be thinking about the slowest trains running in India. Did you know the fact that Mettupalayam Ooty Nilgiri Passenger train is the slowest running train in India? Indian Railways has set some pretty interesting records in the world. Don’t you think? We hope you enjoyed the list of longest distance travelling trains in India. How many of these have you traveled in? Tell us in the comments.