Thirukural Express is a superfast express train in
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
, running between
Kanniyakumari
Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...
in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...
which is the southernmost tip of the
Indian Subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...
, and in
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the NCT Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati B ...
. From December 2020, it runs with newly manufactured LHB rakes.
It is currently a bi-weekly train covering a distance of , making it one of the longest running
superfast trains in the country. The train shares a common route and timetable with the
Tamil Nadu Sampark Kranti Express
The 12651 / 12652 ''Tamil Nadu Sampark Kranti Express'' is one of the Sampark Kranti Express trains, operating on India's broad-gauge network that connects in Tamil Nadu and in New Delhi, a distance of approximately in 42 hours approxim ...
from Hazrat Nizamuddin to
Dindigul
Dindigul, also spelt Thindukkal (), is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Dindigul district. Dindigul is located southwest from the state capital, Chennai, away from Tiruchirappalli, away ...
in return and from
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
to Hazrat Nizamuddin in upward.
Origin of the name
Thirukkural
The ''Tirukkuṟaḷ'' ( ta, திருக்குறள், lit=sacred verses), or shortly the ''Kural'' ( ta, குறள்), is a classic Tamil language text consisting of 1,330 short couplets, or kurals, of seven words each. The text ...
is a book of verses on common ethics and morality written by Tamil Poet
Thiruvalluvar
Thiruvalluvar ( Tamil: திருவள்ளுவர்), commonly known as Valluvar, was a celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher. He is best known as the author of the '' Tirukkuṟaḷ'', a collection of couplets on ethics, political ...
. The train was named after the book, with the
statue of Thiruvalluvar installed at
Kanniyakumari
Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...
Timings
The 12641 Hazrat Nizzamuddin–Thirukkural Express departs Kanniyakumari every Wednesday and Friday at 19:05 IST (07:05 PM) and reaches Hazrat Nizamuddin every Friday and Sunday 18:30 IST (06:30 PM). It takes 47 hours and 30 minutes to complete journey.
12642 Kanniyakumari–Thirukkural Express departs Hazrat Nizamuddin every Monday and Saturday at 05:20 IST (05:20 AM) and reaches Kanniyakumari every Wednesday and Monday at 04:45 IST (04:45 AM). It takes 47 hours and 25 minutes to complete journey.
Coaches
It consists of 22 LHB coach with the maximum speed of 130 kmph.
* 2AC - AC two tier
* 3AC - AC three tier
* SL - Sleeper class
* PC - Pantry car
* UR. - unreserved Coach
* Loco- Locomotive
Route
This train runs from Kanniyakumari via
Nagercoil
Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, it lies on ...
,
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tam ...
,
Kovilpatti
Kovilpatti is an Industrial City and Special Grade Municipality in Thoothukudi District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
History
The town already existed before 1876. Kovilpatti was a water stop for steam engines after the introduction of t ...
,
Sattur
Sattur or Saathur () is a town in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 29,398.
The town is located in the bank of Vaippar river. Sattur/Saathur taluk has contents of black soil around ...
,
Virudhunagar
Virudhunagar is a city and the administrative headquarter of the Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located southwest of the state capital Chennai and south of Madurai. Virudhunagar emerged as an important trade ...
,
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
,
Dindigul
Dindigul, also spelt Thindukkal (), is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Dindigul district. Dindigul is located southwest from the state capital, Chennai, away from Tiruchirappalli, away ...
, ,
Vriddhachalam,
Viluppuram
Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram () is a Municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district.
Located south west of a Tiruvannamalai and north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major railway junction, ...
,
Chengalpattu
Chengalpattu, previously known as Chingleput, is a city and the headquarters of Chengalpattu district of the state Tamil Nadu, India. The town is located near to the industrial and IT hub. It is the headquarters of the district and is away fro ...
,
Tambaram
Tambaram is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Located in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, it is governed by Tambaram City Municipal Corporation and is a part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area.
Etymology
Tambaram is an ancient town ...
, , ,
Balharshah
Ballarpur (formerly Balharshah) is a city and a municipal council in Chandrapur district in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is the second largest city in the district.
History
In Sirpur, today in Telangana, where the king Surajā Ballālas ...
, ,
Betul,
Itarsi
Itarsi is a city and municipality in Madhya Pradesh, India in Narmadapuram District. Itarsi is a key hub for agricultural goods and is the biggest railway junction in Madhya Pradesh. Rail services from all 4 major metropolitan cities of India ...
, , , to Hazrat Nizamuddin.
Traction
The Thirukural Express is hauled by an
Royapuram
Royapuram is a locality in the northern part of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is best known for its beach, and for Royapuram Railway Station. The station is the first railway station of south India, opening in 1856, and is today ...
/
-based
WAP-7
The Indian locomotive class WAP-7 is a class of 25 kV AC electric locomotives that was developed in 1999 by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) for Indian Railways. The model name stands for broad gauge (W), AC Current (A), Passenger traffic ...
locomotive on its entire journey.
References
External links
* http://www.indiarailinfo.com
* http://www.indianrail.gov.in
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thirukural Express
Transport in Kanyakumari
Transport in Delhi
Named passenger trains of India
Express trains in India
Rail transport in Tamil Nadu
Rail transport in Uttar Pradesh
Rail transport in Madhya Pradesh
Rail transport in Maharashtra
Rail transport in Andhra Pradesh
Rail transport in Delhi
Railway services introduced in 2002