Puri Baidyanath Dham Express

The Puri Baidyanath Dham Express is an Express train belonging to East Coast Railway zone that runs between Puri and Patna Junction in India. It is currently being operated with 18449/18450 train numbers on a weekly basis.

Background
This train is on the Ravana the demon king meditated hard, in order to invoke Lord Shiva. Shiva gave him one of the twelve Jyotirlingams to take back with him to Lanka, with the condition that if it were placed on the ground it would take root immediately. Varuna the God of water, entered Ravana's belly, and caused him to feel the need to relieve himself. Vishnu then came down in the form of a lad and volunteered to hold the Jyotirlingam as he relieved himself. But before Ravana could return, the young lad placed the Jyotirlingam on the ground to which it became rooted. A disappointed Ravana offered severe penances to Shiva here, and cut off nine of his heads as a part of his repentance. Shiva revived him and joined the heads to the body, like a Vaidya or a "physician", and hence, this Jyotirlingam goes by the name Vaidyanath.

Service
The 18449/Puri Baidyanathdham Express has an average speed of 48 km/h and covers 932 km in 19h 35m. The 18450/Puri Baidyanathdham Express has an average speed of 51 km/h and covers 932 km in 18h 15m.

Route and halts
The important halts of the train are:


 * Puri
 * Khurda Road Junction
 * Bhubaneswar
 * Cuttack Junction
 * Balasore
 * Hijli
 * Adra Junction
 * Asansol Junction
 * Madhupur Junction
 * Jasidih Junction
 * Jhajha
 * Kiul Junction
 * Barh
 * Bakhtiyarpur Junction
 * Patna Junction

Coach composition
The train has standard LHB rakes with a maximum speed of 130 km/h. The train consists of 18 coaches:


 * 1 AC II Tier
 * 7 AC III Tier
 * 6 Sleeper coaches
 * 2 General Unreserved
 * 1 Seating cum Luggage Coach
 * 1 Generator coach

Traction
Both trains are hauled by a Gomoh or Samastipur shed WAP-7 till Asansol. After that it is hauled by a Howrah or Vishakapatnam shed WAP-7.

Rake sharing
The train shares its rake with 22889/22890 Samudra Kanya Express and 12895/12896 Howrah–Puri Weekly Express.

Direction reversal
The train reverses its direction once:


 * Asansol Junction