Kanniyakumari To Kashmir (Katra) : Full Journey : India's 3rd Longest Train : 16317 Himsagar Express

KANNIYAKUMARI (TAMIL NADU) TO SHRI MATA VAISHNO DEVI KATRA (JAMMU & KASHMIR) : FULL TRAIN JOURNEY : 16317 KANNIYAKUMARI - SHRI MATA VAISHNO DEVI KATRA HIMSAGAR EXPRESS : RPM WAP-7 LOCOMOTIVE : INDIA'S 3RD LONGEST TRAIN JOURNEY : INDIAN RAILWAYS

16317/Himsagar Express (PT)
हिमसागर एक्सप्रेस
CAPE/Kanniyakumari -- SVDK/SMVD Katra

The 16317 / 16318 Himsagar Express is a weekly Express train of the Indian Railways running between India's southern most operational railway station of Kanyakumari to India's Northern Most Operational and connected railway station(as of March 2024) of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra in Jammu and Kashmir. It is currently the 35th longest running train service of world and third-longest-running train on the Indian Railways in terms of distance and time, surpassed by the 22503/04 Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express and 12507/08 Aronai Superfast Express . In 73 hours, the train covers a distance of 3790 km at a speed of 52 km/h, and transverses twelve of India's states halting at a total of 73 stations.
Krishnagiri MP Dr. P. V. Periasamy's demand promoted national integration from Kanyakumari to Kashmir through direct train service on 19-03-1979 in parliament. The proposals to extend 131/132 Jayanti Janata Express to and from Trivandrum and 125/126 Karnataka Kerala Express to and from Kanyakumari and Jammu Tawi have been earlier examined at length and not found feasible. However, possibility of extending 131/132 Jayanti Janata Express to and from Kanyakumari in the South and to Jammu Tawi in the North on once-a-week basis is under examination; and if found feasible would provide a direct train between Jammu Tawi and Kanyakumari interalia serving Trivandrum with Delhi by this service.
Both trains are hauled by an Erode or Royapuram based WAP-7 electric locomotive from CAPE to SVDK.
The train has 20 LHB coaches comprising two Second AC (2AC), Six Third AC (3AC), six Sleeper class (SL), two Unreserved coaches (UR/GS), two Luggage rakes (SLR) and one Pantry car (PC).

16317/18 Himsagar Express runs via following stations :
KANNIYAKUMARI
NAGERCOIL JUNCTION
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM CENTRAL
KOLLAM JUNCTION
KOTTAYAM
ERNAKULAM TOWN
PALAKKAD JUNCTION
COIMBATORE JUNCTION
ERODE JUNCTION
SALEM JUNCTION
KATPADI JUNCTION
TIRUPATI
RENIGUNTA JUNCTION
GUDUR JUNCTION
VIJAYAWADA JUNCTION
WARANGAL
BALHARSHAH
NAGPUR JUNCTION
ITARSI JUNCTION
BHOPAL JUNCTION
JHANSI JUNCTION
GWALIOR JUNCTION
AGRA CANTT
NEW DELHI
LUDHIANA JUNCTION
JALANDHAR CANTT JUNCTION
PATHANKOT CANTT
JAMMU TAWI
UDHAMPUR
SHRI MATA VAISHNO DEVI KATRA

Kanniyakumari railway station, (formerly Cape Comorin railway station)(station code: CAPE) is an NSG–4 category Indian railway station in Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is a railway terminus of the Indian Railways serving the coastal town of Kanyakumari in the state of Tamil Nadu.
It is a part of the Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone. It's the southernmost railway station in India. The Kanyakumari rail station is located in the heart of Kanyakumari and is only 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) away from Kanyakumari beach.
It is one of the 73 stations in Tamil Nadu to be named for upgradation under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme of Indian Railways.
Indian Railways were planning for East Coast Railway Route starting from Chennai to Kanyakumari via Cuddalore, Karaikudi, Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin. The surveys were gone on a phase by phase manner and submitted for approvals, the Railway board currently shelved the project.

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station (station code: SVDK) is a railway station on the Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Railway Link in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It mainly serves for the town of Katra where the major hindu divine temple Shri Mata Vaishno Devi is situated which is visited by millions of travellers per month with the help of this station and its frequent special trains connectivity from all over India. The station belongs to the Firozpur division of Northern Railway zone in Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1898, Maharaja Prathap Singh first explored to connect Jammu with Srinagar. But due to non-co ordination and other reasons, it stopped.
In April 2005, the Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Railway Link was completed up to Udhampur railway station from Jammu side and up to Banihal railway station from Srinagar side. Pirpanjal railway tunnel was completed and testing was being conducted in 2012. The rail link was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 July 2014 at 10:00 A.M. This means that Katra is currently the northern terminus of the southern section of the Jammu–Baramulla line as well as the northernmost place accessible on the contiguous network of Indian Railways