Black Diamond Express
_Black_Diamond_Express.jpg) (Dhanbad-Howrah) Black Diamond Express | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Superfast |
| Locale | West Bengal, Jharkhand |
| First service | Howrah railway station |
| Last service | Dhanbad Junction railway station |
| Current operator(s) | East Central Railway |
| Route | |
| Start | Howrah |
| Stops | 14 |
| End | Dhanbad Junction |
| Distance travelled | 271 km (168 mi) |
| Average journey time | 4 hours 55 minutes |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | CC Class, 2nd sitting, General |
| Seating arrangements | Yes |
| Sleeping arrangements | No |
| Auto-rack arrangements | No |
| Catering facilities | No |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Operating speed | 61 km/h (38 mph) average with halts |
Black Diamond Express is a super-fast mail-express train of Indian Railways, with effect from 1 July 2013, connecting Kolkata with coal belts and industrial towns of Raniganj, Asansol, Kulti, Durgapur, Dhanbad. It is a day train and covers 271 kilometres (168 mi) at an average speed of 57 km/h (35 mph). It has AC chair car, second-class sitting, and general type of coaches. All classes except general class require prior reservation, whereas general coaches can be boarded with a general daily ticket. No pantry car is available in the train. The Tatkal scheme is available in this train.
Major stations through which it passes are Bandel, Burdwan, Durgapur, Andal, and Asansol.
It is hauled by a WAP 7 locomotive of Howrah railway station shed. It is the twin train of the Coalfield Express, which runs from Dhanbad to Howrah as well, though Coalfield is the superior train. However, it runs through the Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line while Coalfield Express goes through the Howrah-Bardhaman Chord line. It is an important train, and runs during the office hours, hence it receives a high priority run.
As such, the train serves as a link between towns such as Bandel, Seoraphuli, which are located on the main line with industrial centers Durgapur, Asansol, Dhanbad and Bokaro (via-Dhanbad) and the metropolis of Kolkata.
Trivia
On April 20, 2016, 22387 UP train's locomotive broke down shortly after leaving Bardhaman.
