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Tea Garden Express
Overview
Service type	Regional rail Express
Status	Operating
Locale	Tamil Nadu and Kerala
First service	1944 December 26 (Error: first parameter cannot be parsed as a date or time.)
Current operator(s)	Southern Railway zone
Former operator(s)	South Indian Railway
Route
Termini	Karaikal (KIK); Ernakulam Junction (ERS)
Stops	26
Distance travelled	593 km (368 mi)
Average journey time	14 Hours 15 Minutes
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	16187 / 16188
Line(s) used	Jolarpettai–Shoranur line (ED – SRR); Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section (SRR – ERS)
On-board services
Class(es)	AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, Sleeper Class, General Unreserved
Disabled access
Seating arrangements	Corridor coach; (Unreserved)
Sleeping arrangements	Couchette car
Auto-rack arrangements	No
Catering facilities	No
Observation facilities	Windows in all carriages
Entertainment facilities	No
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks ; Baggage carriage
Technical
Rolling stock	Locomotive:; WAP4 (AJJ/ED); Coach:; One AC 2–Tier (2A); Two AC 3–Tier (3A); Thirteen II Sleeper; Five UR / GS; Two SLR
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification	Yes
Operating speed	42 kilometres per hour (26 mph)
Track owner(s)	Southern Railway zone
Timetable number(s)	86 / 86A
Route map
Route map

Tea Garden Express (Officially known as Karaikal – Ernakulam Express) is an overnight regional rail connecting Karaikal in Union Territory of Puducherry with Ernakulam in Kerala via Nagapattinam Junction, Thanjavur Junction, Tiruchirappalli Junction, Karur Junction, Coimbatore Junction, Palakkad Junction.

History

The train introduced during the 1940s,^[2] as Ooty–Cochin express to transport tea and related products from the Nilgiris to Cochin Port and further exported to Europe and world over, hence came the name of the train. It ran in narrow gauge between Udhagamandalam and Mettupalayam and broad gauge between Mettupalayam and Cochin Harbour Terminus.^[3] Post Indian independence, the Ooty–Mettupalayam trip was cut–off and the train ran as No.565/566 between Cochin Harbour Terminus and Mettupalayam, since the 1970s.^[4] Then, the Mettupalayam–Coimbatore Junction portion was cut–off and was re-routed to Tiruchirappalli Junction from Cochin (Ernakulam Junction), numbered as 6865 / 6866.^[5] In the 2009–2010 Railway Budget, it was announced that the service will be extended to Nagore,^[6]^[7]^[8] and the extension was effected on 30 March 2010.^[9] The number of train was changed from the 6865 / 6866 to 16865 / 16866 since December 2010 onwards, as a part of train management system over the entire Indian Railways network.^[10]^[11] The train services were further extended to Karaikal from 17 December 2011 onwards^[12] and re–numbered from 16865 / 16866 to 16187 / 16188, since 1 September 2013.^[13]^[14]

Importance

This train provides connectivity for the people of Kerala and western districts to educational institutions^[15] and places of worship in delta districts, viz., Navagraha temples^[16] like Tirunallar Saniswaran Temple and Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur others, Nagore Dargah and Velankanni Matha shrine.^[17]

Rakes

This train has 23 coaches composing all six classes: One AC 2–Tier (2A), Two AC 3–Tier (3A), Thirteen II Sleeper coaches (SL), five Unreserved (general) coaches (UR / GS) and two Luggage rakes (SLR).^[a]

Loco	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23
	SLR	GS	GS	GS	A1	B1	B2	S1	S2	S3	S4	S5	S6	S7	S8	S9	S10	S11	S12	S13	GS	GS	SLR

Rake reverses will be done at TPJ.

It shares rake with Kamban Express and 06453/06434 Ernakulam–Kottayam Passenger.

Schedule

The train numbered 16187 departs Karaikal railway station as Ernakulam Express at 16:30 hours, arrives Tiruchirappalli Junction at 19:50 hours, reverses loco and departs at 20:00 hours and finally arrives Ernakulam Junction at 07:00 hours, the next day.^[18] On the return direction, the train numbered 16188 departs Ernakulam Junction as Karaikal Express at 22:30 hours, arrives Tiruchirappalli Junction at 07:55 hours, the next day, reverses loco and departs at 08:05 hours and finally arrives Karaikal railway station at 11:55 hours. Some of the prominent stoppages for the train are Nagore, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Karur, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thrissur and Aluva.^[19]^[b]