# Thiruvananthapuram North–Yog Nagari Rishikesh Superfast Express

The 22659 / 22660 Thiruvananthapuram North-Yog Nagari Rishikesh Superfast Express is a Superfast Express train belonging to Indian Railways - Southern Railway zone that runs between Thiruvananthapuram North and Yog Nagari Rishikesh in India. This train runs via Alappuzha. From April 2021, the service to Dehradun was discontinued permanently and was diverted permanently to Yog Nagari Rishikesh and was renamed as Thiruvananthapuram North - Yog Nagari Rishikesh Superfast Express. The slip coaches to Haridwar also discontinued and extended to Yog Nagari Rishikesh. Therefore it won't go to Dehradun; instead it was diverted permanently to Yog Nagari Rishikesh.
It operates as train number 22659 from Thiruvananthapuram North to Yog Nagari Rishikesh and as train number 22660 in the reverse direction serving the nine states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

## Coaches

The 22659 / 60 Thiruvananthapuram North - Yog Nagari Rishikesh Superfast Express runs with highly refurbished LHB coaches. It has 2 AC Two tier, 6 AC Three tier, 8 Sleeper Class, 3 General Unreserved, 1 Pantry Car and 2 EOG (End On Generator) coaches.
As is customary with most train services in India, Coach Composition may be amended at the discretion of Indian Railways depending on demand.

## Timings

The 22659 Thiruvananthapuram North - Yog Nagari Rishikesh Superfast Express covers the distance of 3459 kilometres in 51 hours 35 mins (60 km/h) and in 54 hours 15 mins as 22660 Yog Nagari Rishikesh -Thiruvananthapuram North Superfast Express (60 km/h).
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.

## Route & halts

* Thiruvananthapuram North
* Kollam
* Alappuzha
* Ernakulam Junction
* Thrissur
* Shoranur Junction
* Kozhikode
* Kannur
* Kasaragod
* Mangalore
* Udupi
* Madgaon
* Ratnagiri
* Panvel Junction
* Vasai Road
* Palghar
* Surat
* Vadodara Junction
* Kota Junction
* Hazrat Nizamuddin
* Ghaziabad Junction
* Meerut City
* Muzaffarnagar
* Roorkee
* Haridwar
* Yog Nagari Rishikesh.

## Traction

As the route is fully electrified, it is hauled by a Royapuram Loco Shed or Erode Loco Shed based WAP-7 electric locomotive from Thiruvananthapuram North to Yog Nagari Rishikesh and vice versa.

## History

It was introduced as a superfast express between Thiruvananthapuram North - Dehradun Superfast Express. The train used to run via Kottayam and was rerouted to Alappuzha post covid lockdown. As Dehradun Railway doesn't hold 24 coaches in platform some slip coaches will be detached at Haridwar which ran as Haridwar - Thiruvananthapuram North Slip Superfast Express. Since Yog Nagari Rishikesh Railway Station was developed and reconstructed, the railway authority had decided to withdraw coaches running to Dehradun and slip coaches to Haridwar. Instead they decided to run it as a train without slip coaches. After Yog Nagari Rishikesh was developed it was extended to Rishikesh, instead of Dehradun and slip coaches were made to run as a full coach train to Rishikesh. Therefore it runs as Thiruvananthapuram North - Yog Nagari Rishikesh Superfast Express.
After April 2021, the service to Dehradun and the slip coaches to Haridwar were permanently discontinued and was extended to Rishikesh instead of Dehradun and it will run as Yog Nagari Rishikesh - Thiruvananthapuram North Superfast Express.