The 12517 / 12518 Kolkata - Guwahati Garib Rath Express is a Garib Rath class train of Indian Railways, which connects the state capital of West Bengal, Kolkata to the state capital of Assam, Guwahati. The train is operated by the North East Frontier Railway Zone (NFR) of the Indian Railways.
A brief history This train service was inaugurated on March 29, 2008. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all the train services throughout India was cancelled, including this one. However, after the resumption of the train services post pandemic, this train was not resumed. Instead, it was being run as an air-conditioned special train with Linke-Hoffman Busch coaches. This service was scrapped and re-introduced again and again due to its poor patronage. Finally, on 21 June 2024, the North East Frontier Railway Zone informed the public that the Kolkata - Guwahati Garib Rath Express would be restored from July onwards, practically regularising the special train. The first service commenced on 6 July 2024.
Service The 12517 Kolkata - Guwahati Garib Rath Express leaves at 21:45 hrs every Thursday and reaches the next day at 15:55 hrs. It covers the journey in 18 hours 10 minutes averaging at . The 12518 Guwahati – Kolkata Garib Rath Express leaves at 21:00 hrs every Saturday and reaches the next day at 14:30 hrs. It covers the journey in 17 hours 30 minutes averaging at .
Coach composition
This train runs with 22 Linke-Hoffman Busch Third AC economy (3E) coaches. It has a single rake, which it shares with the Kolkata - Agartala Garib Rath Express. The primary maintenance is executed at and the secondary maintenance at .
Coach Position of 12517 (ex. Kolkata) Loco12345678910111213141516171819202122EOGG20G19G18G17G16G15G14G13G12G11G10G9G8G7G6G5G4G3G2G1EOG
Coach Position of 12518 (ex. Guwahati) Loco12345678910111213141516171819202122EOGG1G2G3G4G5G6G7G8G9G10G11G12G13G14G15G16G17G18G19G20EOG
Passengers are advised to check the coach position indicators at the station before boarding.
Traction The train is hauled by a Howrah based WAP-4 or a based WAP-7 electric locomotive till New Cooch Behar station. From there, it is hauled by a Siliguri based WDP-4 or a WDP-4D diesel locomotive to its destination.
Route and halts The stoppages are:-
Other trains on the Kolkata–New Jalpaiguri sector 22301/02 Howrah–New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express 12041/42 New Jalpaiguri–Howrah Shatabdi Express 12377/78 Padatik Express 12343/44 Darjeeling Mail 15959/60 Kamrup Express (via Guwahati) 15961/62 Kamrup Express (via Bogibeel) 13173/74 Sealdah–Agartala Kanchanjunga Express 13175/76 Sealdah–Silchar Kanchanjunga Express 12345/46 Saraighat Express 15721/22 New Jalpaiguri-Digha Express 13141/42 Teesta Torsha Express 13147/48 Uttar Banga Express 13181/82 Kolkata–Silghat Town Kaziranga Express 22511/12 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Kamakhya Karmabhoomi Express 15643/44 Puri–Kamakhya Weekly Express (via Howrah) 12363/64 Kolkata–Haldibari Intercity Express 13115/16 Sealdah - Jalpaiguri Road Humsafar Express
See also Garib Rath Express Kolkata - Agartala Garib Rath Express
Notes
References