# Kovai Express

The 12675 / 12676 Kovai Express is a daily superfast express train on Indian Railways, running between Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station and Coimbatore Junction. The train made its inaugural run on 14 April 1977 and was one of the fastest Express trains in India, with an average speed of 65 km/h including stops . It is also one of the most prestigious trains of Southern Railway.

## Name

The train is named after Coimbatore, which is also known as Kovai.

## Service

This train is an all day, day time superfast and has a Chair Car (Coach) seating arrangement with air-conditioned and non-air conditioned coaches and Pantry car. The 12675/12676 Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Chennai Central Railway Station - Coimbatore Junction Intercity Superfast Express is its opposite route partner.

## Route and stations

Kovai Express, or popularly referred to as Kovai, connects Tamil Nadu's state capital Chennai and its second largest city Coimbatore, a major textile, educational and engineering center. This train covers 6 corporation cities out of 12 in the state: Chennai, Vellore, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore. The route covers most of the major industrial hubs in the north west part of Tamil Nadu. En route, starting from Coimbatore, it covers important towns of Tirupur, an international hosiery goods exporting town, Erode, a principle agricultural and major Industrial town, Salem which is a major steel and mineral town, Morappur, a station that serves passengers from Dharmapuri and surrounding areas, major leather goods exporting centers Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Arakkonam Junction The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), INS Rajali Naval Air Station and Vellore-Katpadi which has both a medical center a university.

## Rake

Kovai Express contains a total number of 22 LHB coach. Previously it has a single dedicated rake unit but now its rakes are being shared with Brindhavan Express. Its rakes are maintained at GSN yard, Bainbridge, Chennai. The current composition is as follows:
| EOG | UR | UR | C1 | C2 | D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | PC | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | UR | UR | UR | UR | UR | EOG |

## Historic information

The old number was 75/76, later changed in the 1980s to 2675/2676, as per new four-digit format numbering system later adopted by the Indian Railways. From December 2011 onwards 5-digit train number system was introduced all over India and accordingly Kovai express train number was again changed as 12675/12676. In 1978 it was pulled by a Diesel Engine with Kovai Express boldly written on it. It used to start from Chennai at 6 A.M and its next stop was Katpadi arriving at 7.43 A.M. Other stops at that time was Jolarpet, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore. It used to reach Cbe at 2 p.m. and start back at 2.20 p.m. Now Shatabdi Express has taken over the Kovai express timings.

## Time table

MAS 》CBE 12675
| Station code | Station name | Arrival | Departure |
| MAS | Chennai Central | SRC | 06:10 |
| AJJ | Arakkonam Jn | 07:03 | 07:05 |
| WJR | Walajah Road Jn | 07:33 | 07:35 |
| KPD | Katpadi Jn | 07:58 | 08:00 |
| AB | Ambur | 08:40 | 08:42 |
| JTJ | Jolarpettai | 09:13 | 09:15 |
| MAP | Morappur | 09:59 | 10:00 |
| SA | Salem Jn | 11:02 | 11:05 |
| ED | Erode Jn | 12:00 | 12:05 |
| TUP | Tiruppur | 12:48 | 12:50 |
| CBE | Coimbatore Jn | 14:05 | DSTN |
CBE 》MAS 12676
| Station code | Station name | Arrival | Departure |
| CBE | Coimbatore Jn | SRC | 15:15 |
| TUP | Tiruppur | 15:58 | 16:00 |
| ED | Erode Jn | 16:40 | 16:45 |
| SA | Salem Jn | 17:37 | 17:40 |
| MAP | Morappur | 18:29 | 18:30 |
| JTJ | Jolarpettai | 19:23 | 19:25 |
| AB | Ambur | 19:50 | 19:52 |
| KPD | Katpadi Jn | 20:30 | 20:32 |
| WJR | Walajah Road Jn | 20:50 | 20:52 |
| AJJ | Arakkonam | 21:23 | 21:25 |
| PER | Perambur | 22:08 | 22:10 |
| MAS | Chennai Central | 22:45 | DSTN |