Shiv Ganga Express
Train in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 12559 / 12560 Shiva Ganga Superfast Express is a daily Superfast Express train[1] of the North Eastern Railway Zone.[2][3] It runs between Banaras and New Delhi,[4] named after the two jewels of Varanasi: Shiva and the Ganges river.
 Shiv Ganga Express At Prayagraj Junction | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Superfast Express |
| Status | Daily Service |
| Locale | Delhi & Uttar Pradesh |
| First service | 1 July 2002 |
| Current operator | North Eastern Railway |
| Ridership | Daily |
| Route | |
| Termini | Banaras (BNRS) New Delhi (NDLS) |
| Stops | 5 |
| Distance travelled | 755 km (469 mi) |
| Average journey time | 10 hours 10 minutes |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Train number | 12559 / 12560 |
| On-board services | |
| Classes | AC First Class, AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, Sleeper Class, General Unreserved |
| Seating arrangements | Yes |
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes |
| Catering facilities | On-board catering, E-catering |
| Observation facilities | Large windows |
| Baggage facilities | Available |
| Other facilities | Below the seats |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | LHB coach |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Operating speed | 75 km/h (47 mph) average including halts. |
The two main cities along the route are Prayagraj and Kanpur. It is the best train to travel from New Delhi to Banaras and vice versa. As of October 2025 Shivganga Express's timetable is scheduled to overtake 5+ premium SF and mail express trains and hence Shiv Ganga Express along with Lucknow Mail, Shram Shakti Express, Prayagraj Express and Shaan-e-Bhopal Express has highest priority all over the route.
In September 2017, a major disaster was averted by alert gangmen after the train was decoupled from the coaches.[5]
Gallery
12560 Shiv Ganga Express – EOG
12560 Shiv Ganga Express – Sleeper Class coach with Prayagraj Kumbh 2019 decal
12560 Shiv Ganga Express – Pantry car coach with Prayagraj Kumbh 2019 decal
12560 Shiv Ganga Express – AC 3 tier coach with Prayagraj Kumbh 2019 decal
12560 Shiv Ganga Express – AC 2 tier coach with Prayagraj Kumbh 2019 decal
12560 Shiv Ganga Express – AC 1st Class coach with Prayagraj Kumbh 2019 decal
Time table
From Banaras to New Delhi it starts with number 12559 and time table is as:
| S.No. | Station | Arrival | Departure | Halt (min.) | Day | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Banaras | Starting Station | 22:15 | – | 1 | 80m |
| 2 | Gyanpur Road | 23:02 | 23:04 | 2 | 1 | 92m |
| 3 | Prayagraj | 00:30 | 00:35 | 5 | 2 | 100m |
| 4 | Kanpur Central | 02:45 | 02:50 | 5 | 2 | 129m |
| 5 | New Delhi | 08:25 | Destination | – | 2 | 216m |
From New Delhi to Banaras it starts with number 12560 and time table is as:
| S.No. | Station | Arrival | Departure | Halt (min.) | Day | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Delhi | Starting Station | 20:05 | – | 1 | 216m |
| 2 | Kanpur Central | 01:00 | 01:05 | 5 | 2 | 129m |
| 3 | Prayagraj | 03:45 | 03:55 | 10 | 2 | 100m |
| 4 | Gyanpur Road | 05:00 | 05:02 | 2 | 2 | 92m |
| 5 | Banaras | 06:10 | Destination | – | 2 | 80m |
Reservation
People have to take an advanced reservation ticket to travel in the train except for the general class. It records a rush of passengers throughout the year in both peak as well as non-peak period. Because of its comfortable time of arrival and departure, it is fairly popular among masses.
Coach composition
This train has 22 coaches between Banaras Station to New Delhi station.
1 AC 1 Tier Coach (H1)
2 AC 2 Tier Coach (A1-A2)
9 AC 3 Tier Coach (B1-B9)
5 Sleeper class Coach (S1-S5)
3 General compartments (unreserved)
1 SLR
1 EOG
Coach composition for 12559 BSBS-NDLS Shiv Ganga Express:
| Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | -| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | HCPV | EOG | A1 | A2 | H1 | B1 | B2 | B3 | B4 | B5 | B6 | B7 | B8 | B9 | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | UR | UR | UR | SLR |
Coach composition for 12560 NDLS-BSBS Shiv Ganga Express:
| Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLR | UR | UR | UR | S5 | S4 | S3 | S2 | S1 | B9 | B8 | B7 | B6 | B5 | B4 | B3 | B2 | B1 | H1 | A2 | A1 | EOG | HCPV |
Journey
It takes around 10 hours 7 minutes to cover its journey of 755 kilometres (469 mi) with an average speed of 74.5 kilometres per hour (46.3 mph).