Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express

This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a particular audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia's inclusion policy. (July 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Hazrat Nizamuddin-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express
Overview
Service type	Rajdhani Express
Locale	Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi
First service	3 July 1993; 32 years ago (1993-07-03)
Current operator(s)	Northern Railways
Route
Termini	Thiruvananthapuram Central (TVC) Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM)
Stops	21
Distance travelled	2,848.2 km (1,770 mi)
Average journey time	41 hrs 30 mins (45 hrs 00 mins in Monsoon)
Service frequency	Tri-weekly
Train number(s)	12431 / 12432
On-board services
Class(es)	AC 1st Class AC 2 Tier AC 3 Tier
Seating arrangements	Yes
Sleeping arrangements	Yes
Catering facilities	Pantry car On-board catering E-catering
Observation facilities	Large windows
Baggage facilities	Luggage Cum Braker van / Generator Car
Technical
Rolling stock	LHB coach
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification	100%
Operating speed	69 km/h (43 mph) average including halts (63.5 km/h (39 mph) in Monsoon)
Rake sharing	Chennai Rajdhani Express Secunderabad Rajdhani Express Madgaon Rajdhani Express
Route map Legend Thiruvananthapuram Central Kollam - Kasaragod Kollam Junction Alappuzha Ernakulam Junction Thrissur Shoranur Junction Kozhikode Kannur Kasaragod Kerala Karnataka border Mangaluru Junction Udupi - Karwar Udupi Karwar Karnataka Goa border Madgaon Junction Ratnagiri - Surat Goa Maharashtra border Ratnagiri Panvel Junction Vasai Road Maharashtra Gujarat border Surat Vadodara Junction Ratlam - Kota Gujarat Madhya Pradesh border Ratlam Junction Madhya Pradesh Rajasthan border Kota Junction Rajasthan New Delhi border Hazrat Nizamuddin 12431 - Trivandrum → Hazrat Nizamuddin 12432 - Hazrat Nizamuddin → Trivandrum

The 12431 / 12432 Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express is a Rajdhani Express train service in India, connecting Hazrat Nizamuddin in the country capital New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram Central, the capital of Kerala state.^[1] It is the Rajdhani Express with the longest route, covering 2,848.2 km (1,770 mi) in about 41 hours 30 mins running at 69 km/h (43 mph) average speed.^[2] In the Monsoon Season every year from 1st June to 31st October, this train follows a Monsoon Timetable aimed to ensure passenger safety & less operational problem due to landslides which are very common & quite frequent in occurrence in Konkan Railway route. In Monsoon season the train takes 45 hrs 30 mins as 12431 Rajdhani Express covering 2,848.2 km (1,770 mi) running at 63 km/h (39 mph) average speed and takes 44 hrs 30 mins as 12432 Rajdhani Express covering 2,848.2 km (1,770 mi) running at 64 km/h (40 mph) average speed

The train number is 12431/12432 which runs only on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Hazrat Nizamuddin also it reverse runs in Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Thiruvananthapuram Central. It connects the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan & New Delhi.^[3]

At the time of its introduction it was travelling from Kerala to New Delhi via Ernakulam, Erode, Chennai, Vijayawada, Nagpur, Bhopal, Jhansi & Agra having a longer time table. Timings were Nizamuddin 09.30 am, Agra 11.44 am, Jhansi 14.25 pm, Bhopal 18.05 pm, Nagpur 23.40 pm, Vijayawada 09.25 am, Chennai (Madras) arrival 15.25 pm & departure 15.55 pm, Katpadi passing 17.39 pm, Erode 21.24 pm, Ernakulam (Kochi) 02.25 am, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) 06.10 am. In return timings were Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) 18.35 pm, Ernakulam (Kochi) 22.25 pm, Erode 03.31 am, Chennai (Madras) arrival 08.45 am & departure 09.10 am, Vijayawada 15.20 pm, Nagpur 01.05 pm, Bhopal 06.40 am, Jhansi 10.20 am, Agra 12.59 am, Nizamuddin 15.15 pm. It used to cover 3,091.2 km (1,921 mi) in 44 hrs 40 mins running at 69 km/h (43 mph) average speed. Until 1998, there were only three Rajdhani Express from Delhi to South India. Trivandrum Rajdhani Express was a weekly train back then having rake sharing agreement with weekly Bangalore Rajdhani Express. But after 1 April 1998, following opening of Konkan Railway it got permanently re-routed via Kota, Vadodara, Vasai, Panvel, Ratnagiri, Madgaon, Karwar, Udupi, Mangalore, Kannur, Kozhikode, Shoranur Junction, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha & Kollam route. The timings after permanent diversion in Konkan Railway were Nizamuddin 09.45 am; Kota 14.55 pm; Vadodara 21.41 pm; Vasai Road 01.16 am; Panvel 02.35 am; Ratnagiri 07.15 am; Madgaon 10.35 am; Karwar 11.38 am; Udupi 14.20 pm, Mangalore 15.45 pm, Shoranur 21.20 pm; Ernakulam 23.30 pm; Alappuzha 00.30 am; Kollam 02.00 am, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) 03.15 am. Return timings were Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) 18.35 pm; Kollam 19.43 pm; Alappuzha 21.12 pm; Ernakulam 22.15 pm; Shoranur 00.15 am; Mangalore 05.45 am; Udupi 06.59 am; Karwar 09.45 am; Madgaon 10.55 am; Ratnagiri 14.10 pm; Panvel 18.50 pm; Vasai Road 20.10 pm; Vadodara 00.55 am; Kota 07.05 am; Nizamuddin 12.05 pm; Later owing to bad timings, in 1999 timings were changed to Nizamuddin 11.15 am; Kota 16.25 pm; Vadodara 22.58 pm; Vasai Road 03.33 am; Panvel 04.53 am; Ratnagiri 09.35 am; Madgaon 12.53 am; Karwar 13.55 am; Udupi 16.38 pm, Mangalore 18.03 pm, Shoranur 23.03 pm; Ernakulam 01.13 pm; Alappuzha 02.13 am; Kollam 03.40 am, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) 04.45 am. Return timings were made Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) 19.20 pm; Ernakulam 23.00 pm; Mangalore 06.20 am; Madgaon 11.30 am; Panvel 19.25 pm; Vadodara 01.25 am; Kota 07.50 am; Nizamuddin 12.50 pm.

In initial days the train had very few stops. Until 1999 it was the one-stop Rajdhani between Panvel and Hazrat Nizamuddin stopping at Vadodara only. Thereafter stop of Kota was introduced in this section. Despite this the train runs non-stop between Kota Junction and Vadodara Junction section 528.3 km (328 mi), which is the longest non-stop run in the country. But from 2022 it was provided stoppage at Ratlam Junction, this making it to loose the name longest non-stop train.^[4]

It has a record for the highest section speed, reaching 104 km/h (65 mph) between Ratnagiri and Sawantwadi Road (225 km or 140 mi in 2 h 10 min). It also gets a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph) between Nagda and Hazrat Nizamuddin (267 km). It moves at an average speed of 69 km/h (43 mph) between Nizamuddin and Thiruvananthapuram. In the Monsoon Season every year from 1st June to 31st October, all the trains in Konkan Railway route follows a Monsoon Timetable to ensure passenger safety & less operational problem due to landslides which are very common & quite frequent in occurrence.

Till the introduction of Madgaon Rajdhani Express in 2015, this was the sole Rajdhani Express that traversed through Konkan Railway.

The Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani generally has Two AC 1st Class, 3 AC 2 tier, 12 AC 3 tier coaches, 1 pantry car, and 2 luggage cum generator coaches making a total of 23 LHB coach. Back in 1995, the train had 11 coaches only.

It shares its rakes with Chennai Rajdhani Express, Secunderabad Rajdhani Express and Madgaon Rajdhani Express. Earlier, it also shared its rake with the Bangalore Rajdhani Express.

This coach positioning is for 12431 at Thiruvananthapuram Central.

Rake sharing with

• 12433/34 Chennai Central<-->Hazrat Nizamuddin Chennai Rajdhani Express
• 12437/38 Secunerabad Junction<-->Hazrat Nizamuddin Secunerabad Rajdhani Express
• 22413/14 Madgaon Junction<-->Hazrat Nizamuddin Madgaon Rajdhani Express

Kerala

1. Thiruvananthapuram Central
2. Kollam Junction
3. Alappuzha
4. Ernakulam Junction
5. Thrissur
6. Shoranur Junction
7. Kozhikode
8. Kannur
9. Kasaragod

Karnataka

1. Mangaluru Junction
2. Udupi
3. Karwar

Goa

1. Madgaon Junction

Maharashtra

1. Ratnagiri
2. Panvel Junction
3. Vasai Road

Gujarat

1. Surat
2. Vadodara Junction

Madhya Pradesh

1. Ratlam Junction

Rajasthan

1. Kota Junction

Delhi

1. Hazrat Nizamuddin

Up Direction:-

Down direction:-

Up Direction:-

Down direction:-

This train used to get hauled by WDP3A from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Vadodara Junction and then used to get hauled by the WAP-7 of Vadodara shed. Then it was used to get hauled by WDP4D from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Vadodara Junction. But as the electrification of the konkan railway, Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani is hauled by the WAP-7 of Ghaziabad shed or Tuglakabad shed or of Vadodara shed.

On 18 October 2018, two coaches of TVC Rajdhani derailed at a staffed level crossing at Thandla Road railway station near Ratlam when a truck rammed into the train. There were no injuries to train passengers but the truck driver was killed due to the collision. The train continued its journey after a delay of 7 hours towards New Delhi.^[5]

• Rajdhani Express