Ernakulam-Okha Express

The Ernakulam-Okha express also called as Okha Express is bi-weekly Express train running between the cities of Kochi in Kerala and Okha in Gujarat. It mainly connects the people of Kerala living in Saurashtra region with Kerala. The trains departs every wednesday and friday at 19:55 pm from Ernakulam with the number 16338 and reaches Okha on friday and sunday at 17:00 pm. It takes 46 hours for its journey.It mainly runs and serve the people of the states of Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Kerala. On its return journey the train is numbered 16337 and it departs Okha on every saturday and monday at 2:00 am and reach Ernakulam at 10:30 pm on every sunday and tuesday. The time table of the train is amended during monsoon season and the train reaches Ernakulam late by 2 to 3 hours of the original time but the monsoon time table does not affects its return journey. Few years before during monsoon season the train had its service only till Hapa but after that during monsoon also the train run till Okha.

The train first used to run between Cochin and Ahmedabad as Cochin-Ahmedabad Express and then it was extended up to Rajkot making it Cochin-Rajkot Express. During that time the train used to start from Cochin Harbour Terminus station. At that time the train had a single service in a week. After Ernakulam South Railway Station was developed the train's origin was shifted to Ernakulam south. One more train was introduced after which train had bi-weekly service.

Coach Composition & Traction

The train has 13-sleeper coaches, 3 general coaches, 2 luggage vans, a pantry car, 2 A/C 2 tier and 2 A/C 3 tier coaches making a total of 23 coaches. Earlier the train had only 12 sleeper coaches an 3 A/C coaches. One more sleeper and one A/C 2 tier coaches were added.

LEAVING KANNUR

The train is hauled by ERS /WDM 3A loco from Ernakulam to Okha. Earlier a single engine was used but due to the increased load a twin ERS/WDM 3A engine is used to haul the train from Ernakulam to Okha.

Route

Arrival at surat

PASSING through RATNAGIRI

Earlier the train used to run via Palghat, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Bangalore, Krishnarajapuram, Gooty, Guntakal, Solapur, Kalyan, Vasai road. But after the completion of Konkan Railway, the train's route was changed and 8 hours of journey was reduced than from the old route. In the present route, the train covers a distance of 2520 kilometers in 46 hours. It has a stop of 51 stations in its route. The main stops are Thrissur, Shoranur, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasargod, Mangalore, Udupi, Bhatkal, Karwar, Honnavar, Madgaon, Ratnagiri, Panvel, Vasai Road, Valsad, Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Dwarka, Okha. The train connects the holy town Dwarka with South India.