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Not to be confused with Mail boat.

The Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express, formerly known as the Boat Mail or Indo-Ceylon Express, is an express train connecting Rameswaram with the Tamil Nadu state capital Chennai via Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Melmaruvathur, Viluppuram, Cuddalore Port, Chidambaram, Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruchchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, Sivagangai, Manamadurai, Paramakkudi, and Ramanathapuram.

In the 20th century, it operated as a combined train–steamer ferry–train service between India and Sri Lanka, linking Chennai and Colombo, the capital of modern-day Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). Initially, the service utilized a rail-to-sea operation, which later evolved into a rail-sea-rail operation.[1] Passengers could purchase a single ticket for the entire journey from Chennai to Colombo.[2]

After Indian independence, the ferry service was discontinued and the train operated under the name Dhanushkodi Express from Chennai Egmore to Dhanushkodi. Following the destruction of Dhanushkodi in the cyclone of 1964, the train service on Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi section was halted and now runs only from Chennai Egmore up to Rameswaram.[citation needed]

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). One of Indian Railways‘ most prestigious trains, it completed 100 years of service in 2014.[2] Before the cyclone, it 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 service was stopped. After completion of the broad-gauge track on the Chennai–Madurai–Rameswaram line, the train was resumed via Madurai Junction. Later, with the conversion of the Tiruchirappalli–Manamadurai line, the train was rerouted via that line, skipping Madurai. Finally, once the Mayiladuthurai-Thanjavur line was converted to broad gauge, the train was rerouted via Thanjavur, which is the present route of the Boat Mail Express.[2]

Tuticorin–Colombo era

The train was inaugurated on January 1, 1880. The railway portion of the route within India was from Madras (Chennai) to Tuticorin, a journey of 21 hours and 50 minutes. At Tuticorin, passengers embarked on the boat mail steamer to Colombo in Ceylon. The Boat Mail Express was one of the early trains to get vestibuled carriages, in 1898.[1]

Presently, this route runs as the Pearl City Express.

Dhanushkodi–Talaimannar era

In 1914, after the Pamban Bridge was built, the train’s route changed and 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 km (22-mi) long ferry journey was considerably shorter than the 270-km (170-mi) long Tuticorin-Colombo route.

Since the 1930s, this train has been rerouted from its original route via Madurai Junction to its present-day route due to the opening of the Trichinopoly–Manamadurai railway route, which is a shorter distance in comparison with its original route and thus also shorter in overall travel time.

Post-cyclone

During the 1964 cyclone, a passenger train was washed into the sea by huge waves while it was near Dhanushkodi. The railway tracks and the pier at Dhanushkodi were also destroyed. Following this, the Indian portion of the train service now operates only up to Rameswaram,[2] and the ferry service to Talaimannar restarted from Rameswaram.

Train service was discontinued from 1984 due to the 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 on the Indian end, where it runs as Colombo–Talaimannar Night Mail Express at the Sri Lankan end.

Schedule

Train name board
  • 16751—Leaves Chennai Egmore daily at 19:15 IST and reaches Rameswaram the next day at 08:10 am IST.
  • 16752—Leaves Rameswaram every day at 17:25 IST and reaches Chennai Egmore the next morning at 07:25 am IST.
16751 – Chennai Egmore → Rameswaram ~ Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express
Station/junction name Station code Arrival Departure Day
Chennai Egmore MS 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 Junction 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 17:25 1
Pamban RMD 17:41 17:42 1
Mandapam MMM 17:53 17:55 1
Ramanathapuram RMD 18:18 18:20 1
Paramakkudi PMK 18:43 18:45 1
Manamadurai Junction MNM 19:20 19:25 1
Sivaganga SVGA 19:38 19:40 1
Kallal KAL 19:54 19:55 1
Devakottai Road DKO 20:03 20:04 1
Karaikkudi Junction KKDI 20:38 20:40 1
Pudukottai PDKT 21:09 21:10 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 01:13 01:15 2
Sirkazhi SY 01:37 01:35 2
Chidambaram CDM 01:54 01:56 2
Cuddalore Port Junction CUPJ 02:25 02:26 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 07:25 DEST 2

Traction

In earlier times, the train was hauled by a Golden Rock-based WDG-3A. From Rameswaram to Chennai Egmore, the train is hauled by a WAP-4 electric loco. The same locomotive types are used on the return journey. This train achieves a maximum speed of 110 km/h.[5][6]

Coach composition

The train consists of 23 coaches. It shares its rails with the 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). The train will share its rake with Madurai–Thiruvananthapuram Amritha Express after the extension and inauguration of the new Pamban Bridge.

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 GS GS S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 B3 B2 B1 A1 HA1 GS SLR

Alternative bridge proposal

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

Locomotive

  • The Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express Now runs from Chennai to Rameswaram with a WAP-4 locomotive from Erode,Arakkonam After Completing Electrification work at Thiruchirapalli Junction – Rameswaram railway line

See also

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-seltrain.html Famous Trains
  2. ^ a b c d Saqaf, Syed Muthahar (14 June 2010). “‘Boat Mail’ to run on the 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.