Even I requested to run this train via Howrah. If looked carefully, Rampurhat to Balasore via Durgapur, Asansol, Adra, Bankura, Midnapore, Hijli is 497 km, and the train is taking 9 hours and 27 minutes. The reason is that the train has to run thorugh slow speed section with a loco reversal at Durgapur. But Rampurhat to Balasore via Burdwan- Howrah Chord, Kharagpur would have made a distance of 440 km, and the train could have maintained a running time of 7 hours {by giving halts at Bolpur Shantiniketan, Burdwan Junction, Howrah Junction (50 minutes for slack time+ loco reversal) and Jaleshwar. The reason is Burdwan- Howrah via Chord, and Howrah- Kharagpur are high speed sectors. This would have saved more than 2 hours, which would have made the train reach Vishakapatnam by 22:00, and could have given a halt there instead of Duvadda. That could have benefitted both the people...
more... of Vishakapatnam and Howrah. Because lot of people from Kolkata go to Kanyakumari, but there is only 1 weekly train between Kolkata and Kanyakumari. And the train could have been augmented with another 6 sleeper coaches (as it is running with 18 coaches). If it was done, the train could have als oreached Kanyakumari by 08:00 in the morning, i.e. within 80 hours. Waiting for replies.