The Pragati Superfast Express is a daily Intercity Express train plying between Pune and Mumbai via Panvel. It is operated by the Central Railways, a zonal railway under the larger Indian Railways. Currently, it plies the distance of 187 km in 3 hours and 25 minutes.

Pragati Superfast Express
Overview
Service typeIntercity Express
LocaleMaharashtra
First service27 December 1991
Current operator(s)Central Railways
Route
TerminiMumbai CSMT
Pune Junction
Stops6 as 12125 Pragati Express
5 as 12126 Pragati Express (+2 technical)
Distance travelled187 km (116 mi)
Average journey time3 hours 25 minutes
Service frequencydaily
Train number(s)12125 / 12126
On-board services
Class(es)AC Chair Car, Second Class sitting
Seating arrangementsYes
Sleeping arrangementsNo
Auto-rack arrangementsNo
Catering facilitiesNo pantry car
Observation facilitiesNo rake sharing, First dedicated Mumbai–Pune Intercity to operate via Panvel.
Entertainment facilitiesNone
Technical
Rolling stockKalyan WCAM-3 or WCAM-2/2P locomotive, LHB Coaches
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed110 km/h (68 mph) maximum
54 km/h (34 mph), including halts
Route map
Mumbai CSMT
Dadar
Thane
Thane Viaduct (Thane Creek)
Parsik Tunnel (1.6 Km)
Panvel
Chowk Tunnel (2.6 km)
Karjat Junction
Bhor Ghat begins
Monkey Hill
(technical halt towards Mumbai CST)
Khandala Tunnel (2.3 Km)
Bhor Ghat ends
Khandala
(technical halt towards Mumbai CST)
Lonavala
Shivajinagar (towards Pune Junction)
Pune Junction

Coaches

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Pragati Express is composed of 15 LHB Coaches, as follows:

  • 1 AC Chair Car
  • 1 AC Vistadome
  • 6 Second Seating
  • 1 Unreserved coach (Reserved for Monthly Season Ticket holders)
  • 4 General Second Class
  • 1 Unreserved Ladies, Divyangjan and Brake Van
  • 1 Generator Luggage and Brake Van

Pragati Express service is run using a single LHB rake and is maintained after every round trip in Pune at the Ghorpadi coaching depot

Service

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It was inaugurated on 27 December 1991 as an alternative to the most popular train on this sector the Deccan Queen. It is one of the six point-to-point express trains meant for intercity travel between Mumbai and Pune that carry thousands of regular commuters. The other five being the Sinhagad Express, Deccan Queen, Deccan Express, Indrayani Express and the Intercity Express. Although all trains have the same livery, the Pragati Express takes a different route. It takes the single line electrified route between Karjat and Panvel and continues towards Diva Junction from where it continues the rest of journey towards Mumbai CSMT. Thus it completely bypasses the KarjatKalyan JunctionDiva Junction section of the Central Line.

Timing

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The Pune–Mumbai Pragati Express Express is the 3rd of 6 dedicated trains to leave Pune Junction for Mumbai CST & is the 2nd-last train to return.

12126 Pune–Mumbai Pragati Express leaves Pune Junction every day at 07:50 hrs IST and reaches Mumbai CST at 11:15 hrs IST.

On return, the 12125 Mumbai–Pune Pragati Express leaves Mumbai CST every day at 16:25 hrs IST and reaches Pune Junction at 19:50 hrs IST.

Traction

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When the train was introduced, it was hauled by WCM 2/3/5 DC locomotives as the route between Mumbai and Pune was under 1500 V DC. Post 2014, after conversion of DC to AC on Central Line, it has been hauled occasionally by Bhusawal-based WAP-4/WAM-4 or Ajni-based WAP-7.

At Karjat, it gets two or three WAG-7 or WCAM-3 bankers of Kalyan shed to push the train on the ghat section between Karjat railway station and Lonavala railway station, where the gradient is 1 in 40.

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Sister trains

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Via Kalyan Defunct
Deccan Express Mumbai–Pune Mail
Deccan Queen Mumbai-Pune Passenger
Indrayani Express Mumbai–Pune Shatabdi Express
Mumbai–Pune Intercity Express Dadar-Pune Express
Sinhagad Express Mumbai-Pune Janta Express
Pune-Mumbai Passenger

See also

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References

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