Remote towns and villages have been conveniently connected with metropolitan cities or state capitals in India through the Indian Railways. This has facilitated the development of these villages and towns, especially with the affordable rates provided by the IR management. The trains have Superfast and Express categories, which gives an option to passengers. The trains are scheduled after thorough research and scrutiny. Decisions based on the need and demand of train services and the requirement of connections between certain cities have been made which has led to the impressive progress and detailed network of railway transport in the country. With the incorporation of technology and its cheap availability has facilitated precise inquiries. Just type the train name and number on the address bar of your browser and get detailed IRCTC train enquiry between two stations! Such enquiries can be carried for most trains, including the Konark Express. The Konark Express connects Mumbai CST in Maharashtra and Bhubaneshwar in Odisha.

The Konark Express - East meeting West

History of the train

  • The train’s name originates from the 13thcentury Sun Temple called the Konark Temple in Odisha.
  • The train set out on its first journey on 16thAugust 1978. It was a superfast express train which was introduced by Shri Madhu Dandavate, and it connected Secunderabad and Bhubaneshwar.
  • The train was numbered 2119/2120. The rake was split between Konark Express and Minar Superfast Express (connecting Bombay (VT) and Secunderabad) which was numbered 2101/2102.
  • The Konark Express was decorated with navy blue colours with a thick white strip above its windows to avoid any discrepancies in the rake sharing arrangement.
  • The demand for an exclusive train route between Bombay and Bhubaneshwar increased exponentially, which vanquished the rake sharing arrangement between the Konark Express and the Minar Express to accommodate the direct route between Bombay and Bhubaneshwar in 1994.

Specifications of the train

  • The Konark Express departs from Mumbai CST and travels a distance of 1932 km to Bhubaneshwar in Odisha. It passes through the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
  • It completes the entire journey in 37 hours and 15 minutes. The departure occurs at 15.10pm from Mumbai on day 1, and the arrival occurs at 4.25am in Bhubaneshwar on day 3.
  • It stops at 38 stations. It makes short halts of 2 minutes at Dadar, Lonavla, Gulbarg, Seram, Tandur, Begampet, Warangal, Mahbubabad, Khammam, Madhira, Eluru, Tadepalligudem, Rajmundri, Samalkot, Tuni, Anakapalle, and Srikakulam road. 5-minute halts are present at Pune Junction, Daund Junction, Wadi, Vizianagram, Brahmapur, and Khurda Road Junction. It makes 10-minute halts at Solapur Junction and Kazipet Junction. The longest halts are of 20 minutes at Secunderabad Junction, Vishakhapatnam Junction, and Vijaywada Junction.

The train is not completely electrified which is why it requires 2 locomotives. Initially, WDP-4D of Kalyan shed was used to haul the train which was replaced by WDP-4/4B of Hubbali shed from Mumbai CST to Wadi. WAP-4 of Lallaguda shed is used to haul the train from Wadi to Vishakhapatnam Junction. From Vishakhapatnam shed, a WAP-7 locomotive is employed to haul the train from Vishakhapatnam to Bhubaneshwar station.