Trains, the magnificent machines that were once powered by mechanical steam engines, have always fascinated mankind. Interesting facts about railways further ignite the curiosity in the mind of travellers. For instance, have you wondered why the distance between the tracks is fixed at 3.50m or ADDED ONE MORE FACT? If yes, and you are into all things railways, we’ve got you covered! But today, we are addressing the Indian Railways and, more specifically, the longest train route the behemoth organization covers. We will also concisely talk about how the longest train route in the world compares to the longest train route in India.
But, before we start, it is essential to understand the Indian Railways first. To count a few imperative facts about the organization, Indian Railways has one of the largest rail networks in the world with a history of 168 years and 1,26,611 km of tracks covering the whole country based on the 2021 data. This vast rail network is divided into 17 zones. What’s even more astonishing is that the Indian Railways carried 3.43 million passengers every day from 2020-21.
The train route between Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari is the longest train route in India and also finds its place among the longest routes in the world as well. Before we start spitting the facts, it’s crucial to mention that apart from one who needs to travel on the route, people can also embark on the journey for the fun of it. The fun of moving through different climates, terrain, and linguistic regions and having the first-hand experience of various cultures along the way.
Also read: Indian Railways may reduce travel time on Delhi-Howrah rail route by 2.5 hours
The Vivek Express covers India’s longest railway route, travelling 4273 kilometers over rails in 80 hours and 15 minutes with roughly 55 scheduled stops. It connects the northernmost tip of India’s mainland, Kanyakumari (CAPE), in Tamil Nadu, to Dibrugarh (DBRG), in Assam, in the northeast. It follows the same path on the way back as well. The Vivek Express train series began in November 2011 to commemorate Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary, which was to be held in 2013. When the nationwide lockdown to combat COVID-19 was announced in March 2020, this train was the last to suspend operations.
The train passes through load of stations from north to south like 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.
The longest train route in the world, unsurprisingly, is in Russia, the world’s largest country. The train journey takes six days and crosses multiple time zones. It connects western Russia to the country’s far east. You begin your journey in Moscow and arrive in Vladivostok after six days and approximately 9,250 kilometers. Which when compared to India’s longest train route still seems like quite a journey. To be exact is 4977 km longer which is more than double.
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