Kerala Express

{{Infobox rail service

| color = 00FFBB

| name = Kerala Express

| image = Ministry of Railways India.svg

| image_width =

| caption = Kerala Express cruising near Warangal.

| type = Superfast

| locale =

| operator = Southern Railway

| ridership =

| start = {{stnlnk|New Delhi}} (NDLS)

| stops = 41

| end = {{stnlnk|Thiruvananthapuram Central}} (TVC)

| distance = {{convert|3031|km|0|abbr=on}}

| journeytime = 49 hours 25 minutes

| frequency = Daily

| class = AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, AC 3 Tier Economy, Sleeper Class, General Unreserved

| seating = Yes

| sleeping = Yes

| autorack =

| catering = Available

| observation = Large windows

| entertainment =

| baggage = Available

| otherfacilities = Below the seats

| stock = LHB coach

| gauge = {{track gauge|1676mm}}

| el =

| trainnumber = 12625 / 12626

| speed = {{convert|130|km/h|0|abbr=on}} maximum,

{{convert|61|km/h|0|abbr=on}} average including halts.

| map = 250px

| map_state =

| sharing =

|first={{start date and age|df=yes|1977|01|10}}{{Small| (split train as Kerala–Karnataka (KK) Express )}}{{cite web |url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/finance_budget/Previous%20Budget%20Speeches/1977-78_interim.pdf|date=28 March 1977|title= Railway Budget speech 1977-78 (interim)|website=www.indianrailways.gov.in|publisher=Ministry of Railways}}
{{start date and age|df=yes|1983}} {{Small|(as Kerala Express)}}{{cite web |url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/finance_budget/Previous%20Budget%20Speeches/1983-84.pdf|date=24 March 1983|title= Railway Budget speech 1983-199084|website=www.indianrailways.gov.in|publisher=Ministry of Railways}}

}}

The 12625 / 12626 Kerala Express is a daily Superfast Express train of the Indian Railways that connects the National Capital of India New Delhi to State Capital of Kerala Thiruvananthapuram Central. It is the second longest running daily train in India after 22503/22504 Dibrugarh Kanniyakumari Dibrugarh Vivek Superfast Express which runs daily that travels 4139 km in more than 70 hours . The Kerala express travels 3031 km of distance in 51 hours and 10 minutes .

History

The Kerala Express was introduced in 1977 as a split train named Kerala–Karnataka (KK) Express.{{Cite web|last=Interim|first=Railway Budget|date=28 March 1977|title=Interim Railway Budget Madhu Dandavate|url=https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/finance_budget/Previous%20Budget%20Speeches/1977-78_interim.pdf|website=www.indianrailways.gov.in}} The composition of Karnataka–Kerala Express has been increased from 14 coaches to 21 coaches with effect from 29 January 1981.{{cite web |url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/finance_budget/Previous%20Budget%20Speeches/1981-82.pdf|date=19 February 1981|title= Railway Budget speech 1981-82|website=www.indianrailways.gov.in|publisher=Ministry of Railways}}

Kerala Exp briefly also had a link portion to Mangalore between 1987 and 1992, where a portion of this train used to bifurcate/amalgamate at Palakkad Junction. It was Christined 2625/2626A Link Mangala Exp. This arrangement continued until Mangala Exp was made an independent train in 1993. That train is now the Mangala-Lakshadweep Express.

The train is running with LHB rakes with effect from 4 November 2018.{{Cite web|title=Kerala misses out on promised trains, backup coaches as authorities turn a blind eye|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2018/12/16/kerala-misses-out-on-promised-trains-backup-coaches-as-authoriti.html|access-date=2021-04-28|website=OnManorama}}

File:Kerala Express - LHB coach - EOG.jpg – End on Generator coach]]

File:Kerala Express - LHB coach - AC 2 tier.jpg]]

File:Kerala Express - LHB coach - AC 3 tier.jpg]]

File:Kerala Express - LHB coach - Sleeper.jpg]]