Boat Mail Express
Boat Mail Express is at Chennai Egmore Railway Station Platform No : 9
Overview
Service typeMail/Express
StatusActive
LocaleTamil Nadu
First service24 February 1914 (1914-02-24)
Current operator(s)Southern Railway zone
RidershipMail/Express
Websitewww.indianrailways.gov.in
Route
TerminiChennai Egmore (MS)
Rameswaram (RMM)
Stops21
Distance travelled665 km (413 mi)
Average journey time12 hours 30min
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)16751/16752
On-board services
Class(es)
  • 1 1st A/C I Tire (H)
  • 1 2nd A/C II Tire (A)
  • 3 3rd A/C III Tire (B)
  • 13 Sleeper (SL)
  • 3 Unreserved (GS)
  • 2 GSLRD
Disabled accessDisabled access
Seating arrangementsYes (Un-Reserved Compartment)
Sleeping arrangementsYes (Berth)
Catering facilitiesE-Catering
  • 16751 : (Chennai Egmore ➡ Villupuram Junction)
  • 16752 : (Rameswaram ➡ Tiruchchirappalli Junction)
Observation facilitiesLarge windows
Entertainment facilitiesNo
Technical
Rolling stock
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification25 kV AC, 50 Hz (High Voltage traction)
Operating speed59 km/h (37 mph)
Average length23 Coaches
Rake maintenanceRameswaram
Rake sharingSethu Superfast Express
Route map

The Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express, previously known as the Boat Mail or Indo-Ceylon Express, is an express train that connects Rameswaram with the state capital Chennai via Tambaram, Chengalpet, Melmaruvattur, Viluppuram, Cuddalore port, Chidambaram, Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai, Tanjore, Tiruchchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, Sivagangai, Manamadurai and Ramanathapuram . During the 1900s, it was a combined train and steamer ferry service between India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Connecting Chennai and Colombo, the system initially utilised a rail-to-sea operation, but changed to a rail-to-sea-to-rail operation.[1] Passengers could buy a single ticket for the journey.[2] Now, it runs from Chennai Egmore to Rameswaram via Villuppuram, Kumbakonam, Tiruchchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karaikkudi, Devakottai, Manamadurai, Paramakkudi, Ramanathapuram, Mandapam and Pamban.

History

Passengers changing their mode of journey at Dhanushkodi

The train's name commemorates the 19th century mail service between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). It is one of the top most prestigious trains of Indian Railways and it has completed 100 years of service in 2014.[2] Before cyclone, the train was running as a metre-gauge train from Chennai Egmore to Dhanushkodi via Chengalpattu Junction, Viluppuram Junction, Cuddalore Port Junction, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai Junction, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur Junction, Pudukkottai, Karaikkudi Junction, Devakottai, Sivagangai, Manamadurai Junction, Ramanathapuram and Rameswaram. Due to the conversion of metre gauge to broad gauge, the train was stopped. After the completion of broad-gauge track in Chennai–Madurai–Rameswaram line, the train is resumed via Madurai Junction. Later the conversion of Tiruchirappalli–Manamadurai line, this train is rerouted via that route which skips Madurai. Finally the Mayiladuthurai to Thanjavur line is converted to broad gauge once again this train is rerouted via Thanjavur which is the present route of Boat Mail Express.[2]

Tuticorin–Colombo era

In the late 19th century, the train was inaugurated on 1 January 1880. The railway portion of the route within India was from Madras (Chennai) to Tuticorin. At Tuticorin, passengers embarked on the boat mail steamer to Colombo in Ceylon. The train took 21 hours and 50 minutes for the journey from Madras to Tuticorin. The Boat Mail was one of the early trains to be given vestibuled carriages, in 1898.[1] Presently this train route is running as Pearl City Express.

Dhanushkodi–Talaimannar era

In 1914, after the Pamban bridge was built, the train's route changed and it went from Madras to Dhanushkodi.[3] A much shorter ferry service then took the passengers to Talaimannar in Ceylon, from where another train went to Colombo. The 35-kilometre (22 mi) long ferry journey was considerably shorter than the 270-kilometre (170 mi) long Tuticorin-Colombo route.

Post cyclone

In 1964 a passenger train was washed into the sea by huge waves during the 1964 cyclone, when nearing Dhanushkodi. The railway tracks and the pier at Dhanushkodi were also destroyed. Following this, the Indian portion of the train service now only operates up to Rameswaram,[2] while the ferry service to Talaimannar has restarted from Rameswaram has been discontinued from 1984 due to Tamil Eelam issue.[4] It now runs between Chennai Egmore and Rameswaram via Tambaram, Chengalpattu Junction, Viluppuram Junction, Cuddalore Port Junction , Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai Junction, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur Junction, Tiruchirappalli Junction, Pudukkottai, Karaikkudi Junction, Devakottai Road, Kallal,Sivaganga, Manamadurai Junction, and Ramanathapuram.

Schedule

  • 16851 – Starts from Chennai Egmore daily at 19:15 IST and reaches Rameswaram next day at 08:20 AM IST
  • 16852 – Leaves Rameswaram every day at 17:20 IST and reaches Chennai Egmore next day morning 06:45 IST
16751 - Chennai Egmore → Rameswaram ~ Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express
Station/Junction Name Station Code Arrival Departure Day
Chennai Egmore SOURCE 19:15 1
Tambaram TBM 19:43 19:45 1
Chengalpattu Junction CGL 20:13 20:15 1
Melmaruvathur MLMR 20:38 20:40 1
Villupuram Junction VM 21:50 21:55 1
Cuddalore Port Junction CUPJ 22:38 22:40 1
Chidambaram CDM 23:08 23:10 1
Sirkazhi SY 23:26 23:27 1
Mayiladuthurai Junction MV 23:55 23:57 1
Kumbakonam KMU 00:25 00:27 2
Thanjavur Junction TJ 01:00 01:02 2
Tiruchchirappalli Junction TPJ 02:50 03:00 2
Pudukottai PDKT 03:43 03:45 2
Karaikkudi Junction KKDI 04:10 04:12 2
Devakottai Road DKO 04:19 04:20 2
Sivaganga SVGA 04:39 04:30 2
Manamadurai MNM 05:35 05:40 2
Paramakkudi PMK 06:03 06:05 2
Ramanathapuram RMD 06:30 06:32 2
Mandapam MMM 07:08 07:09 2
Pamban PBM 07:22 07:23 2
Rameswaram RMM 08:20 DEST 2
16752 - Rameswaram → Chennai Egmore ~ Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express
Rameswaram RMM SOURCE 17:10 1
Pamban RMD 17:36 17:37 1
Mandapam MMM 17:58 18:00 1
Ramanathapuram RMD 18:28 18:30 1
Paramakkudi PMK 18:53 18:55 1
Manamadurai MNM 19:20 19:25 1
Sivaganga SVGA 19:45 19:47 1
Kallal KAL 20:05 20:06 1
Devakottai Road DKQ 20:15 20:16 1
Karaikkudi Junction KKDI 20:30 20:32 1
Pudukottai PDKT 21:04 21:05 1
Tiruchchirappalli Junction TPJ 23:00 23:10 1
Thanjavur Junction TJ 00:00 00:02 1
Kumbakonam KMU 00:34 00:36 2
Mayiladuthurai Junction MV 01:18 01:20 2
Sirkazhi SY 01:43 01:45 2
Chidambaram CDM 02:00 02:02 2
Cuddalore Port Junction CUPJ 02:31 02:32 2
Villupuram Junction VM 04:20 04:25 2
Melmaruvathur MLMR 05:13 05:15 2
Chengalpattu Junction CGL 05:48 05:50 2
Tambaram TBM 06:18 06:20 2
Mambalam MBM 06:38 06:40 2
Chennai Egmore MS 07:20 DEST 2

Traction

The Rameswaram to Tiruchchirappalli section is hauled by a WDM-3A/WDG-3A Diesel locomotive and Tiruchchirappalli to Chennai Egmore by a WAP-4 electric loco. The same locomotive types are used on the return journey. Between Tiruchchirappalli Junction and Chennai Egmore, this train achieves a maximum speed of 110 km/h.[5][6]

Coach composition

The train consists of 23 coaches, which shares its rakes with Sethu Superfast Express, operates daily and covers a distance of 667 km (414 mi). It includes One AC First Class cum 2nd AC (HA), AC 2 Tier (A), AC 3 Tier (B), Sleeper Class (SL), Unreserved general sitting coach (GS) and End on Generators (SLRD).

Loco 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
SLRGSGSS1S2S3S4S5S6S7S8S9S10S11S12S13B3B2B1A1HA1GSSLR

Alternative proposals

At one time the South Indian Railway considered constructing a bridge 12 miles (19 km) long across the shallow waters and sand shoals and reefs known as Rama Sethu between India and Sri Lanka. However, this plan was shelved when World War I broke out.

Locomotive

See also

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-seltrain.html Famous Trains
  2. 1 2 3 4 Saqaf, Syed Muthahar (14 June 2010). "'Boat Mail' to run on main line from August 1". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  3. ↑ "Imperial Indian Mail". trains-worldexpresses.com. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "India-Sri Lanka ferry service to take off soon: Union minister". The New Indian Express. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  5. ↑ "16701/Chennai Egmore–Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express". India Rail Info.
  6. ↑ "16702⇒16102/Boat Mail (Rameswaram Express)". India Rail Info.
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