Boat Mail Express

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 state capital Chennai via Tambaram, Chengalpet, Melmaruvattur, Viluppuram, Cuddalore port, Chidambaram, Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai, Tanjore, Tiruchchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, Sivagangai, Manamadurai, Paramakkudi and Ramanathapuram.

Boat Mail Express
Boat Mail Express at Chennai Egmore Railway Station Platform No. 9
Overview
Service type	Mail/Express
Status	Active
Locale	Tamil Nadu
Predecessor	Indo-Ceylon Express
First service	24 February 1914; 111 years ago (1914-02-24)
Last service	Operation till now
Successor	Rameswaram Express
Current operator(s)	Southern Railway zone
Former operator(s)	South Indian Railway (SIR)
Ridership	Mail/express
Website	http://www.indianrailways.gov.in
Route
Termini	Chennai Egmore (MS) Rameswaram (RMM)
Stops	20
Distance travelled	665 km (413 mi)
Average journey time	12 hours 30min
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	16751/16752
Line(s) used	Main Line
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 access
Seating arrangements	Yes (un-reserved compartment)
Sleeping arrangements	Yes (berth)
Catering facilities	E-catering 16751: (Chennai Egmore ➡ Villupuram Junction) 16752: (MANDAPAM ➡ Tiruchchirappalli Junction)
Observation facilities	Large windows
Entertainment facilities	No
Baggage facilities	Available
Other facilities	Bio toilet
Technical
Rolling stock	MMM ↔ TPJ → WDM-3A, WDG-3A loco from Diesel Loco Shed, Golden Rock TPJ ↔ MS → WAP-4 loco from Arakkonam, Erode electric shed
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification	25 kV AC, 50 Hz (high voltage traction)
Operating speed	59 km/h (37 mph)
Average length	23 Coaches
Track owner(s)	Southern Railway
Rake maintenance	Ramanathapuram
Rake sharing	Sethu Superfast Express & Amritha Express
Route map

In the 20th century, it operated as a combined train-steamer ferry-train service between India and Sri Lanka, linking Chennai and Colombo. 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 was halted. It now 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 prestigious trains of Indian Railways, as it completed 100 years of service in 2014.^[2] Before the 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 the broad-gauge track in the Chennai–Madurai–Rameswaram line, the train is resumed via Madurai Junction. Later the conversion of the 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

The train was inaugurated on January 1, 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. 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 shorter distance in comparison with its original route which leads to reduction in overall travel time.

Post cyclone

In 1964, a passenger train was washed into the sea by huge waves during the 1964 cyclone, 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 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 in the Indian end where as it runs as Colombo - Thalaimannar Night Mail express at the Sri Lankan end.

Schedule

Train name board

• 16751 – Starts from 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 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	DKQ	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

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.It shares its rakes 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 Shares Its Rake With Madurai Thiruvananthapuram Amritha Express After Extension And Inauguration Of 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 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 Adam's Bridge between India and Sri Lanka. However, this plan was shelved when World War I broke out.

Locomotive

• Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express Running Chennai to Trichy with WAP-4 locomotive from Erode, Arakkonam electric shed
• Trichy - Rameswaram WDM-3A, WDG-3A locomotive from Diesel Loco Shed, Golden Rock trains first came to India and Sri Lanka in the 1850s.

See also

• Alavandar murder case
• List of named passenger trains of Sri Lanka
• Rail transport in India
• Ananthapuri Express
• Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Weekly Superfast Express
• Nellai Superfast Express
• Pallavan Superfast Express
• Vaigai Superfast Express
• Rockfort (Malaikottai) Superfast Express
• Chendur Superfast Express
• Pearl City (Muthunagar) Superfast Express
• Pandian Superfast Express
• Kanniyakumari Superfast Express
• Pothigai Superfast Express
• Uzhavan Express