Archive · 21 Aug 2026
North Eastern Railway Runs Longest-Ever Awadh Mahashakti Freight Train
North Eastern Railway ran a very long freight train called Awadh Mahashakti.
It was the longest freight train ever operated by this railway zone.
The train started at Gonda and traveled to Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh.
It covered about 160 kilometers in 3 hours and 50 minutes.
The train moved at an average speed of 42 kilometers per hour.
It had 129 empty wagons joined into three groups.
Three engines pulled the train, which was nearly two kilometers long.
Running the three groups together helped save two separate train movements and made better use of railway capacity.
North Eastern Railway’s Lucknow division operated its longest-ever freight train, Awadh Mahashakti, on August 20.
The train traveled from Gonda to Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, covering around 160 kilometers.
It completed the journey in 3 hours and 50 minutes at an average speed of 42 kmph.
Awadh Mahashakti consisted of 129 empty BCN wagons arranged in three rakes and hauled by three locomotives.
By moving three rakes in one train, the operation reduced the number of train paths needed for the wagons.
- Who
- North Eastern Railway’s Lucknow division operated the train, with three locomotives hauling the wagons.
- What
- It ran Awadh Mahashakti, its longest-ever freight train, consisting of 129 empty BCN wagons in three rakes.
- When
- August 20; it left Gonda at 1:50 pm and reached Sitapur at 5:40 pm.
- Where
- From Gonda Yard to Sitapur, via the Gonda-Burhwal-Sitapur section in Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- To improve freight movement, use railway capacity more efficiently, and move three rakes in one train path.
- Train name
- Awadh Mahashakti
- Operator
- North Eastern Railway’s Lucknow division
- Route
- Gonda to Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh
- Distance and time
- Around 160 kilometers in 3 hours and 50 minutes
- Average speed
- 42 kmph
- Configuration
- Three rakes of empty BCN wagons, totaling 129 wagons, hauled by three locomotives
- Length
- Nearly 2 kilometers
- Comparison
- Indian Railways’ Rudrastra was longer at around 4.5 kilometers, with 354 wagons and seven locomotives
