The Intercity Express is an express-train service in India which connects major railway junctions and state capitals. These act as long-distance reserved and unreserved suburban trains with sitting accommodation (AC Chair Car - CC, AC Executive Chair Car EC, Anubhati class K, Vistadome EA and Non-Ac Second Sitting - 2S). These are quite fast and maintain a high average speed for short distances along with priority over other trains.

History The first named intercity train (Flying Ranee) was introduced in 1906 for providing connections between two cities from one state to other various states in India. The train left Surat station for Mumbai Central station to cover a distance of 264 km in 5 hrs 28 min and ran weekly from 1906 to 1939 when it was discontinued due to World War II. Since then, it has been discontinued and restarted several times. It finally resumed operations on 1 November 1950 and has been running ever since.

The Mumbai CSMT–Pune Deccan Queen Express, the second named intercity train in India, was introduced on 15 February 1930.

On 1 July 1992, the first intercity express was introduced between Indore and New Delhi which is the only overnight intercity train runs between two major cities of India.

On 1 July 1997, the second intercity express train launched between Chennai–Coimbatore & Bengaluru–Hubbali which was the first one-day trip daily intercity express train.

Features

The trains are less expensive than other express trains and usually reach their destinations within 5–6 hours. They usually complete a round trip in a day, returning to the origin station at night and using only a single rake. Generally, they have only sitting accommodations and a pantry car. Intercity-Express trains run daily, except:

Jabalpur–Ambikapur Intercity Express, runs daily Bhopal–Gwalior Intercity Express, five days a week Indore–New Delhi Intercity Express, which takes 11 hours to cover the route. This train uses two rakes and also has unreserved, sleeper service and three coach classes Bengaluru–Ernakulam intercity express also uses 2 rakes Mangaluru–Coimbatore Intercity Express uses 2 rakes and which is shared with Ernad Express Haldibari–Kolkata Intercity Express runs tri-weekly covering 630 km in 11 hours 10 minutes. It has Chair Car & AC Chair Car Coaches. The train is Superfast in nature. Katihar–Patna Intercity Express runs except Sunday.

Named Intercity trains The following trains are intercity-express trains, but have different names: Sr no.Train numberTrain nameRoutekmAvg speed (km/h)112279 / 12280 Taj Express Jhansi–New Delhi 411 58211901 / 11902 Gita Jayanti Express Mathura–Kurukshetra 299 42312465 / 12466 Ranthambore Express Indore–Jodhpur 910 56412871 / 12872 Ispat Express Howrah–Titlagarh 745 56512821 / 12822 Dhauli Express Howrah–Puri 500 60612757 / 12758 Kaghaznagar Express Secunderabad–Sirpur Kaghaznagar 297 56719033 / 19044 Gujarat Queen Express Ahmedabad–Valsad 298 47822953 / 22954 Gujarat Superfast Express Ahmedabad–Mumbai Central 492 55912933 / 12934 Karnavati Express Ahmedabad–Mumbai Central 492 631012921 / 12922 Flying Ranee Express Mumbai Central–Surat 263 561112915 / 12916 Ashram Express Ahmedabad–Delhi 933 581213017 / 13018 Ganadevata Express Howrah–Azimganj 279 471313113 / 13114 Hazarduari Express Kolkata–Lalgola 225 501412337 / 12338 Shantiniketan Express Howrah–Bolpur 146 651513161 / 13162 Tebhaga Express Kolkata–Balurghat 441 461613103 / 13104 Bhagirathi Express Sealdah–Lalgola 228 501712497 / 12498 Shan-e-Punjab Express New Delhi–Amritsar 448 581722105 / 22106 Indrayani Express Mumbai CSMT–Pune 192 551911007 / 11008 Deccan Express Mumbai CSMT–Pune 192 462011029 / 11030 Koyna Express Mumbai CSMT–Kolhapur SCSMT 516 442111009 / 11010 Sinhagad Express Mumbai CSMT–Pune 192 452212125 / 12126 Pragati Express Mumbai CSMT–Pune 186 542312123 / 12134 Deccan Queen Express Mumbai CSMT–Pune 192 582416215 / 16216 Chamundi Express Mysuru–Bengaluru City 138 502512607 / 12608 Lal Bagh Express Chennai Central–Bengaluru City 359 602616089 / 16090 Yelagiri Express Chennai Central–Jolarpettai 214 482716023 / 16024 Malgudi Express Mysuru–Yesvantpur 143 452812613 / 12614 Wodeyar Express Mysuru–Bengaluru City 138 552912639 / 12640 Brindavan Express Chennai Central–Bengaluru City 358 583016057 / 16058 Sapthagiri Express Chennai Central–Tirupati 146 453112605 / 12606 Pallavan Superfast Express Chennai Egmore–Karaikkudi 426 643217407 / 17408 Pamani Express Tirupati–Mannargudi 464 433314227 / 14228 Varuna (Shuttle) Express Varanasi–Lucknow Charbagh 283 563414215 / 14216 Ganga Gomti Express Prayagraj Sangam–Lucknow 201 483510103 / 10104 Mandovi Express Mumbai CSMT–Madgaon 750 503614795 / 14796 Ekta Express Bhiwani–Kalka 330 453717239 / 17240 Simhadri Express Guntur–Vishakhapatnam 382 373812747 / 12748 Palnadu Express Guntur–Vikarabad 353 553912341 / 12342 Agniveena Express Howrah–Asansol 200 624012339 / 12340 Coalfield Express Howrah–Dhanbad 260 604122387 / 22388 Black Diamond Express Howrah–Dhanbad 272 554214519 / 14520 Kisan Express Delhi–Bathinda 341 454314633 / 14634 Ravi Express Amritsar–Pathankot 107 434417023 / 17024 Tungabhadra Express Secunderabad–Kurnool City 244 494517027 / 17028 Hundry Express Secunderabad–Kurnool City 244 524617687 / 17688 Marathwada Express Manmad–Dharmabad 421 464717617 / 17618 Tapovan Express Mumbai CSMT–HS Nanded 606 524812109 / 12110 Panchvati Express Mumbai CSMT–Manmad 257 564913233 / 13234 Rajgriha Express Rajgir–Danapur 108 285012805 / 12806 Janmabhoomi Express Visakhapatnam–Secunderabad 689 555112711 / 12712 Pinakini Express Vijayawada–Chennai Central 430 615212713 / 12714 Satavahana Express Vijayawada–Secunderabad 349 635317201 / 17202 Golconda Express Guntur–Secunderabad 380 495414629 / 14630 Sutlej Express Chandigarh–Firozpur 235 435514231 / 14232 Manwar Sangam Express Prayagraj Sangam–Basti 260 375616301 / 16302 Venad Express Shoranur–Thiruvananthapuram 327 405716649 / 16650 Parasuram Express Mangaluru Central–Nagercoil 702 455816303 / 16304 Vanchinad Express Ernakulam Jn–Thiruvananthapuram Central 220 455916605 / 16606 Ernad Express Mangaluru Central–Thiruvananthapuram 691 436012675 / 12676 Kovai Express Chennai Central–Coimbatore 496 656116791 / 16792 Palaruvi Express Tirunelveli Jn–Palakkad 477 336212883 / 12884 Rupashi Bangla Express Kolkata Santragachi–Purulia 315 566313301 / 13302 Swarna Rekha Express Dhanbad–Tatanagar 188 326412885 / 12886 Aranyak Express Kolkata Shalimar–Bhojudih 322 616512813 / 12814 Steel Express Howrah–Tatanagar 250 636612857 / 12858 Tamralipta Express Howrah–Digha 185 566722897 / 22898 Kandari Express Howrah–Digha 185 556813205 / 13206 Janhit Express Saharsa–Danapur 224 306922321 / 22322 Hool Express Howrah–Siuri 242 567012717 / 12718 Ratnachal Express Vijayawada–Visakhapatnam 349 617118801 / 18802 Hasdeo Express LHB Korba–Raipur 200 517218803 / 18804 Hasdeo Express ICF Korba–Raipur 200 517312635 / 12636 Vaigai Superfast Express Chennai Egmore–Madurai 497 687413187/13188Maa Tara ExpressSealdah-Rampurhat226507512347/12348Sahid SF ExpressHowrah-Rampurhat20758

Normal Intercity Express trains Intercity Express routes are (round-trip, unless noted):