Top five longest train journeys in India

Indian Railways is among the world’s largest rail networks. According to various studies, it is the largest rail network in Asia and second largest in the world, covering a staggering distance of over 115,000 kilometres. 

In terms of time and distance covered, Indian Railways runs trains that undertake different journeys that comprise of short as well as long journeys.   

Here, we tell you about 5 longest train journeys made by a single train.

1. Dehradun Kochuveli Superfast Express - Dehradun and Kochuveli 

Kochuveli Dehradun Superfast Express is a superfast express weekly train that runs between Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and Kochuveli (Kerala) via Kottayam (Kerala). 

It runs through 9 states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand covering total distance of 3437 kilometres in 57 hours 20 minutes.  

2. Raptisagar Express - Trivandrum Central and Gorakhpur

Raptisagar Express is a superfast train which runs tri-weekly between Trivandrum Central (Kerala) and Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh). This train passes via Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Chennai Central, Vijayawada, Warangal, Ramagundam, Nagpur, Bhopal, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Gonda and Basti. 

It covers a distance of 3,248 kilometers in 57 hours 05 minutes.

3. Thiruvananthapuram - Guwahati Superfast Express

Thiruvananthapuram - Guwahati Superfast Express is a weekly superfast express train that runs between Thiruvananthapuram Central and Guwahati.

Covering 8 states of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it covers a distance of 3,553 kilometres in 65 hours.

4. Kashmir Himsagar Express - Kanyakumari and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra 

Kashmir Himsagar Express is a weekly express train running between Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (Jammu and Kashmir). It is currently the second longest running train in terms of distance and time.

The train covers a distance of 3,787 kilometres in 72hours passing through 12 states.

5. Vivek Express - Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari

Vivek Express from Dibrugarh (Assam) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) is the longest route of the Indian Railways network both in terms of distance and time. It is the 9th longest rail route in the world. 

This weekly train is currently the longest train route in the Indian Subcontinent. It covers a total distance of 4,286 kilometres with a running time of 80 hours and 15 minutes. 

The train is named after Swami Vivekananda and was introduced on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary.