Howrah–Chennai Mail

The 12839 / 12840 Howrah-Chennai Mail is a mail train of Indian Railways connecting Howrah Junction and Chennai Central. It connects three metropolitan cities of India, Kolkata, Chennai and Visakhapatnam. It also runs via some major cities of India like Bhubaneswar, Vijayawada, etc.

The second-most preferred train to the south after Coromandel Express.

History
The train made its inaugural run on August 15, 1900, which makes it one of the oldest running trains on Indian railways. It was first hauled by steam engines, including the WP class engines, then by diesel, and now by electric WAP-4 or WAP-7 locomotives. It was the first passenger train to be dieselized on the South Eastern Railway in 1964–65. Till the introduction of the Coromandel Express in the mid-seventies, it was the main and fastest train link between Howrah and Chennai (then Madras), with much fewer halts. Presently, this train is the second most important train on the Howrah–Chennai main line after the high speed Coromandel Express. It covers 1664 km at an average speed of 59 km/h

Rakes

 * 3 AC Two Tier
 * 8 AC Three Tier
 * 3 AC Three Tier Economy
 * 3 Sleeper class
 * 1 Pantry car
 * 2 General Unreserved
 * 1 End on Generation car (EOG)
 * 1 Sitting luggage cum brake van (SLR)

Route
Important stations through which it passes are Kharagpur Junction, Balasore, Cuttack Junction, Bhubaneswar, Khurda Road Junction, Berhampur, Naupada, Srikakulam Road railway station, Visakhapatnam, Samalkot Junction, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Vijayawada Junction, Tenali Junction, Nellore, Gudur Junction.