Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express

Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express

Overview
Service type	Shatabdi Express
Locale	Delhi & Uttar Pradesh
Current operator(s)	Northern Railway of Indian Railways
Route
Stops	5
Distance travelled	513 kilometers
Average journey time	6 hours 30 minutes
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	12003 & 12004
On-board services
Class(es)	A.C Executive Anubhuti Chair Car A.C. First Class Chair Car A.C. Chair Car
Seating arrangements	Chair Car
Sleeping arrangements	Not available
Catering facilities	Vegetarian food Non-Vegetarian food Jain food
Baggage facilities	Overhead luggage shelves
Technical
Rolling stock	Alstom LHB coaches
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	Maximum: 130 km/h between Chipyana Buzrung and Kanpur. Average: 80 km/h
Route map

Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express is one of the Shatabdi Express trains operated by Indian Railways that connects the capital of India, New Delhi to state capital of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Junction. ^[1]

Overview[]

This train is a Swarna category Shatabdi Express train, Swarna is a Sanskrit word meaning gold. Swarna Shatabdi means that it caters better amenities to passengers and also generates better revenue for Indian Railways as compared to other Shatabdi Express trains. Not every train in Indian Railways carries Swarna tag. It is hauled by an Electric Loco Shed, Ghaziabad WAP-7 or WAP-5 Locomotive.

History[]

Earlier this train used to run between Kanpur Central and New Delhi non-stop, a 435 km stretch.^[2] After the gauge conversion in 1993, it was extended and previous terminal, Kanpur Central was converted to its only halt and later halted at Aligarh. Later on, it was also given halt at Ghaziabad and Etawah. Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express is the first train in Indian Railways to get LHB coaches on trial basis.

Initiatives[]

Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi has been awarded the ISO certification.

Routes[]

Swarna Shatabdi Express[]

12003 – Lucknow Junction railway station to New Delhi

12004 – New Delhi to Lucknow Junction

Temporary coaches that may/may not be attached depending on demand. Coach compositions are as follows-

• 12003- LOCO-EOG-C16-C15-C14-C13-C12-C11-C10-C9-C8-C7-C6-C5-C4-C3-C2-C1-E2-E1-EOG.
• 12004- LOCO-EOG-E1-E2-C1-C2-C3-C4-C5-C6-C7-C8-C9-C10-C11-C12-C13-C14-C15-C16-EOG.

Speed[]

Its all coaches are of air conditioned LHB coaches type which is capable of reaching 160 kmph but it does not touch. Sometimes people become confused because according to Indian Railways Permanent Way Manual (IRPWM) on Indian Railways website or Indian Railway Institute of Civil Engineering website, the BG (Broad Gauge) lines have been classified into six groups ‘A’ to ‘E’ on the basis of the future maximum permissible speeds but it may not be same as present speed.

The maximum permissible speed is 130 kmph except two parts - first 29 km of journey or New Delhi (NDLS) – Chipyana Buzrung (CYZ) part where Railway is trying to raise maximum permissible sectional speed to 130 kmph from 110 kmph [1] and after leaving route towards Howrah, last 72 km of journey or Kanpur (CNB) – Lucknow NE Jn (LJN) route has sectional speed of 110 kmph but speed of about first 2 Kms, under North Central Railway of this route is unknown - it is as per System Map of Nortern Railway (as on 31.03.2021) [2]

Railway board has approved the speed policy which envisages operation of passenger trains at 160 kmph on Delhi – Howrah (incl CNB-LKO that is Kanpur - Lucknow NR) route and this train leaves route towards Howrah from Kanpur and then passes through Kanpur (CNB) – Lucknow NE Jn (LJN) route which is about same as Kanpur (CNB) – Lucknow NR (LKO) route but it is still unclear what will its impact on this train in future like increasing of speed but not up to 160 kmph or up to 160 kmph [3]

See also[]

• Lucknow Charbagh railway station (LKO)
• Kanpur Shatabdi
• Aligarh Junction railway station

References[]

External links[]

• https://web.archive.org/web/20130723014914/http://www.indianrail.gov.in/shatabdi_trn_list.html
• Lucknow Shatabdi Timetable in Hindi