The 12259 / 12260 Sealdah - Bikaner Duronto Express is a premium train of the Duronto Express category belonging to Indian Railways - Eastern Railway zone that runs between Sealdah and Bikaner in India.It operates as train number 12259 from Sealdah to Bikaner and as train number 12260 in the reverse direction serving the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan.[1] It used to run as New Delhi - Sealdah Duronto Express and was the first Duronto Express to be launched as announced in the Railway budget of 2008/09. On 24 February 2020, it was extended beyond New Delhi to Bikaner, thereby becoming not only the first Duronto service to Bikaner but also one connecting New Delhi and Bikaner. It was the fastest Duronto Express in India when it operated from Sealdah to New Delhi.
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Overview | |||||
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Service type | Duronto Express | ||||
First service | 18 September 2009; 13 years ago (2009-09-18) 24 February 2020; 2 years ago (2020-02-24) Extended to Bikaner | ||||
Current operator(s) | Eastern Railways | ||||
Route | |||||
Termini | Sealdah (SDAH) Bikaner (BKN) | ||||
Stops | 11 | ||||
Distance travelled | 1,920 km (1,193 mi) | ||||
Average journey time | 24 hours, 30 minutes | ||||
Service frequency | 4 Days a week. | ||||
Train number(s) | 12259 / 12260 | ||||
On-board services | |||||
Class(es) | AC 1st Class, AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier | ||||
Seating arrangements | No | ||||
Sleeping arrangements | Yes | ||||
Catering facilities | Pantry car attached | ||||
Baggage facilities | Yes | ||||
Technical | |||||
Rolling stock | LHB coaches | ||||
Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
Operating speed | 130 km/h (81 mph) (Maximum Speed), 78 km/h (48 mph) (Average Speed), including halts | ||||
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The 12259 / 60 Sealdah Bikaner Duronto Express presently has one AC First Class, four AC 2 tier, twelve AC 3 tier, two End on Generator Car & one Pantry car coach.
As is customary with most train services in India, Coach Composition may be amended at the discretion of Indian Railways depending on demand.
The 12259 Sealdah Bikaner Duronto Express covers the distance of 1,921 km (1,194 mi) in 24 hours 45 minutes, at an average speed of 78 km/h (48 mph)), and in 24 hours 30 minutes as 12260 Bikaner Sealdah Duronto Express, an average speed of 78 km/h (48 mph). As the average speed of the train is above 55 km/h (34 mph), as per Indian Railways rules, its fare includes a superfast surcharge.
The 12259/12260 Sealdah - Bikaner Duronto Express runs from Sealdah via Dhanbad Junction, PT. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, Kanpur Central, New Delhi, Loharu, Sadulpur, Churu, Ratangarh to Bikaner Junction
As the route is partly electrified, and thus the three rakes of 12259/12260 Seadah - Bikaner Duronto Express is hauled by a Howrah or Santragachi based WAP 7 (HOG) equipped locomotive from Sealdah to New Delhi after which a Tughlakabad based WDP 4D or Bhagat Ki Kothi based WDP 4B / WDP 4D locomotive hauls the train for its remainder journey until Bikaner Junction and vice versa.
The train was terminated by Indian Railways after its final run from Bikaner to Sealdah on 24 May 2021, due to low occupancy and safety compromises amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The train again started its run from 9 June 2021 .
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