130 km/h (81 mph) maximum, 64 km/h (40 mph) average including halts.
Route map
Gitanjali Express Route map
The 12859 / 12860 Gitanjali Express is a daily train running between two metro cities, Kolkata, (Howrah Junction) in West Bengal and Mumbai, (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) in Maharashtra connecting the East with the West. Numbered 12859/60 this train belongs to the Superfast category. This train takes 30½ hrs to cover the distance of 1968 km between Mumbai and Howrah while the return takes 31 hrs 15 mins. This is first train which depart behind pure AC Loco from Mumbai CSMT after conversion of Mumbai CSMT to Thane from DC to AC. It has the top most priority in Howrah Mumbai route.
Relevance
Rabindranath Tagore, a famous poet of India, wrote the book Gitanjali.[1] Since this train, too, starts from Bengal this train has the same name. This is the first Classless train in India, introduced by Ex Railway Minister Prof. Madhu Dandvate on 26 December 1977.[2]
Train schedule
From Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Howrah — 12859. The train starts from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus everyday.[3]
Station code
Station name
Arrival
Departure
CSMT
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
---
06:00
DR
Dadar Central
06:12
06:15
KYN
Kalyan Junction
06:52
06:55
KSRA
Kasara
08:00
08:03
IGP
Igatpuri
08:30
08:32
NK
Nashik Road
09:25
09:30
JL
Jalgaon
11:58
12:00
BSL
Bhusaval Junction
12:40
12:45
MKU
Malkapur
13:29
13:30
SEG
Shegaon
14:14
14:15
AK
Akola
14:45
14:50
BD
Badnera
16:12
16:15
WR
Wardha Junction
17:18
17:20
NGP
Nagpur Junction
18:55
19:00
BRD
Bhandara Road
19:51
19:53
G
Gondia
20:48
20:50
RJN
Raj Nandgaon
22:07
22:09
DURG
Durg Junction
22:50
22:55
R
Raipur Junction
23:30
23:35
BSP
Bilaspur Junction
01:20
01:35
RIG
Raigarh
03:11
03:13
JSG
Jharsuguda
04:28
04:30
ROU
Rourkela Junction
05:44
05:52
CKP
Chakradhapur
07:13
07:15
TATA
Tatanagar Junction
08:15
08:25
KGP
Kharagpur
10:23
10:28
SRC
Santragachi Junction
11:47
11:48
HWH
Howrah
12:30
---
Note : Train stops at Kasara & Igatpuri Railway Station only for Bankers Loco attachment & removal at the back of the Train. There is no Commercial halt at these Stations.
From Howrah to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus — 12860. The train starts from Howrah everyday.[4]
Station code
Station name
Arrival
Departure
HWH
Howrah
---
14:05
KGP
Kharagpur
15:40
15:45
TATA
Tatanagar Junction
17:41
17:48
CKP
Chakradharpur
18:45
18:47
ROU
Rourkela Junction
20:12
20:20
JSG
Jharsuguda
21:53
21:55
RIG
Raigarh
22:58
23:00
BSP
Bilaspur Junction
01:00
01:15
R
Raipur Junction
02:45
02:50
DURG
Durg Junction
03:45
03:50
RJN
Raj Nandgaon
04:12
04:14
G
Gondia
05:40
05:42
BRD
Bhandara Road
06:29
06:31
NGP
Nagpur Junction
07:40
07:45
WR
Wardha Junction
08:48
08:50
BD
Badnera
10:32
10:35
AK
Akola
11:30
11:35
SEG
Shegaon
12:03
12:05
MKU
Malkapur
12:43
12:45
BSL
Bhusaval Junction
13:45
13:50
JL
Jalgaon
14:18
14:20
NK
Nashik Road
17:05
17:10
IGP
Igatpuri
17:57
18:00
KYN
Kalyan Junction
20:02
20:05
DR
Dadar Central
20:47
20:50
CSMT
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
21:20
---
Arrival and departure
Train No.12859 leaves source point, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 6:00 am and reaches its destination station Howrah Junction at 12:30 noon the next day.[5]
Train No.12860 leaves Howrah Junction at 2:05 pm and reach its destination, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 9:20 pm next day.[6]