The Duronto express derives its name from the hindi word Turant which means quick and speedy and also from Bengali word Duronto which means restless . These category train run non stop between the origin and destination and halt only at pre designated TECHNICAL halts. The Duronto express predecessor was the Samparkkranti exp which also ran initially as a non stop train. But owing to poor response halts were added to it and samparkkrantis are now one of the fastest Superfast trains. Duronto express trains are the countries fastest trains. Duronto trains are available in full AC variants as well as regular variant. Both ICF and LHB coach rakes are utilised for its services. The train was the brain child of the railway minister Ms Mamata Banerjee. Many of them connect the city of Kolkata with other major cities. These trains have been surrounded by many controversies since a large chunk of them have fared poorly though there were some outstanding HITS. The LHB variants are fit for speeds as high as 160 kmph although no Duronto exp travels faster than 130 kmph.
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HISTORY:
The duronto express train was one of the earliest Duronto exp to be flagged of. The train began its services from Lokamanya Tilak Terminus station in Mumbai to Ernakulam South station in Kerala on Jan 18 2011. The train departs at 20.50 from LTT on Tuesdays and Saturdays and arrives at Ernakulam at 17.45 hrs on Wednesdays and Sundays. The train departs from Ernakulam on the same days at 21.30 and reaches LTT at 18.15 averaging about 62 kmph.
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DESCRIPTION:
The train is maintained by the Central Railway. The trains base station is Lokamanya Tilak Terminus. It offers only AC sleeper accomodation. The train offers 3 classes of accomodation . The rake consists of 8 AC tier compartments and 2 AC 2Tier compartments and 1 AC First Class Compartment, 1 Pantry car and 2 luggage cum Generator vans. The train is an average performer . The train is one of the first trains to hit WL during the vacation season. The train passes through Mumbai city and the western ghats of Konkan Region and the Malabar Coastal Region in Kerala. The train plies on the Western Ghats which is famous for its bio diversity and offers a scintillating view of the mountains and valleys. the route is exceptionally beautiful during monsoon. The train connects the Marathi and Malayalam speaking regions. the train crosses the rivers of Patalganga, Vasishti, Savitri, Zuari and Mandovi, Sharavati, Netravati, Valappattanam, Kadalundi, Bharatapuzha. The train is one of the fastest trains on the Konkan railway and chugs at a good 120 kmph on the Konkan railway. The train gets slowed down when it enters Kerala where the mps is just 80 kmph on the MAJN-SRR route. The train is a very high priority one and is very well noted for its speed and aggression. The food is also of decent standards in this train. The train is very comfortable owing to the advanced LHB rakes and improved air suspension as opposed to pneumatic spring suspension on other trains. The train has technical halts at Ratnagiri, Madgaon, Mangalore Jn and Kozhikkode stations where water for the lavatories and food items are loaded. Also the train is checked for any problems.
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LOCO LINK:
The train is hauled by WDM3D locomotive from the Kalyan Loco Shed.
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RSA: There does not exist any Rake sharing arrangement for this train.
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VERDICT:
The train is good for its speed and very good timetable The train however does not have commercial stoppages in between LTT and ERS and hence is unsuitable for people in other regions although people can get down at technical halts at their own risk. Also the train is completely AC and hence may not be pocket friendly.
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FARES
AC - First Class INR 4260
AC - 2 Tier INR 2415
AC - 3 Tier INR 1665
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RATINGS:
Speed: Outstanding 10/10
Comfort: excellent 10/10
Cleanliness: Good 8/10
Food: Excellent 8/10
Punctuality : Good but unreliable during monsoon 8/10
Total score: 44/50
