Chennai Egmore–Kollam Junction Express

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Kollam Express
Chennai Egome-Kollam Junction express at Kollam, Aug 2019.jpg
Chennai Egmore–Kollam Junction Express at Kollam Junction
Overview
Service typeExpress
StatusOperating
LocaleKerala & Tamil Nadu
First service26 November 1904; 117 years ago (1904-11-26)
Re-introduced on 4 March 2019; 2 years ago (2019-03-04)
Current operator(s)Indian Railways
Route
StartChennai Egmore (MS)
Stops21
EndKollam Junction (QLN)
Distance travelled761 km (473 mi)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)16101/16102
On-board services
Class(es)AC 3 tier, Sleeper 3 tier, General Unreserved
Seating arrangementsYes
Sleeping arrangementsCouchette cars
Catering facilitiesNo
Observation facilitiesLarge windows
Technical
Rolling stockIndian locomotive class WDM-3A in QLN⇋VPT section WAP-4 or WAP-7 in VPT⇋MS section
Track gauge5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)
Indian broad gauge
Route map
Kollam Jn.-Chennai Egmore (Quilon Mail) Route map

The Chennai Egmore–Kollam Junction Express (16101/16102, earlier known as the Quilon Mail) is a daily train that runs between Chennai Egmore and Kollam Junction in India. It is the successor of 115 years old Quilon Mail, which ran once upon a time in metre-gauge lines between Madras and Quilon.[1]

History[]

Opened on 1 June 1904, the Quilon–Madras rail line was the first line in Travancore. Its official gauge conversion started in 1998 and completed in 2018. On 31 March 2018, the entire Kollam–Sengottai line was opened for passenger train service.[2][3] The first passenger train was the TambaramKollamTambaram special train (06027) that earned Rs 3.15 lakh by carrying 879 passengers against a capacity of 712.[4] The line provides a shorter route to Thiruvananthapuram via Kollam. Other routes include: Coimbatore and Pollachi to Palakkad, from Madurai via Kanyakumari.[5]

On 4 March 2019, railway started daily service between Kollam Junction and Chennai Egmore by extending Tambaram–Kollam tri-weekly special train to Chennai Egmore and increased the frequency as a daily service. The service was speeded-up by 35 minutes and the number of intermediate stops were reduced to 21 from 25 (Tiruttangal, Pamba Kovil Shandy, Bhagavathipuram, Auvaneeswaram). The daily express train service between Chennai Egmore and Kollam Junction via Punalur, Rajapalayam and Madurai Junction was one of the oldest routes in South India. The service was first flagged off by Travancore Maharajah Mulam Thirunal Rama Varma in 1904 as Quilon–Madras Mail. The service was diverted through Virudhunagar and Manamadurai in 1996 due to gauge conversion works in Virudhunagar–Madurai stretch. Later, the service discontinued in 2000 for gauge conversion works.[6]

Route[]

It runs along the British-made historic QuilonMadras rail route and other chord lines including Kollam–Sengottai which is the shortest existing rail route from Chennai to Kollam via Chengalpattu, Dindigul, Trichy, Madurai, Srivilliputtur, Tenkasi and Punalur.

Chennai EgmoreTambaramChengalpattu JunctionViluppuram JunctionVriddhachalam JunctionTiruchchirappalli JunctionDindigul JunctionMadurai JunctionVirudhunagar JunctionSrivilliputturRajapalayamSankarankovilKadayanallurTenkasi JunctionSengottaiPunalurAvaneeswaramKottarakaraKundaraKollam Junction[7]

Traction[]

As the route is partly electrified, an Arakkonam-based WAP-4 or Royapuram-based WAP-7 hauls the train till Virudunagar Junction handing over to a GOC-based diesel WDG-3A which powers the train for the remainder of the journey.

Coach composition[]

The train has 14 bogies comprising two A/C three-tier, eight sleeper class, two unreserved general coaches and 2 luggage rakes.[a]

Loco 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
SLR GEN S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 B1 B2 GEN SLR

Schedule[]

16101 MS-QLN STATION KMs 16102 QLN-MS
07.30 QLN/Kollam Junction 000.0 12.00
KLQ/Kilikollur 005.6
CTPE/Chandanattop Halt 007.3
06.31/06.32 KUV/Kundara 012.7 12.17/12.18
KFV/Kundara East 014.6
EKN/Ezhukone 017.6
06.20/06.21 KKZ/Kottarakara 024.7 12.29/12.30
KIF/Kuri 032.4
06.10/06.11 AVS/Auvaneswsarem 036.6 12.39/12.40
05.55/06.00 PUU/Punalur 044.3 12.55/13.00
EDN/Edamann 052.8
OKL/Ottakkal 061.5
TML/Tenmalai 066.2
KTHY/Kazhuthuruthy 070.0
EDP/Edapalayam Halt 072.9
AYVN/New Aryankavu 074.8
AYV/Aryankavu 078.9
BJM/Bhagavathipuram 087.8
03.45/03.50 SCT/Sengottai 094.0 15.15/15.17
03.33/03.35 TSI/Tenkasi Junction 101.9 15.15/15.17
03.14/03.15 KDNL/Kadayanallur 117.9 15.31/15.32
PBKS/Pamba Kovil Shandy 127.0
02.48/02.50 SNKL/Sankarankovil 138.7 15.59/16.00
CPM/Cholapuram 160.0
02.23/02.25 RJPM/Rajapalayam 171.7 16.23/16.25
02.09/02.10 SVPR/Srivilliputtur 183.0 16.37/16.38
SVKS/Sivakasi 199.9 16.54/16.55
TTL/Tiruttangal 202.8
SLGM/Sankaralingapuram 211.8
01.28/01.30 VPT/Viruthunagar Junction 224.3 17.38/17.40
TMQ/Tirumangalam 250.3
TDN/Tirupparankundram 260.7
00.40/00.45 MDU/Madurai Junction 267.7 18.45/18.50
23.35/23.40 DG/Dindigul Junction 330.0 20.05/20.10
22.00/22.05 TPJ/Tiruchirapalli Junction 424.3 21.15/21.20
SRGM/Srirangam 436.0
ALU/Ariyalur 494.1
20.05/20.07 VRI/Vridhachalam Junction 547.7 22.48/22.50
ULU/Ulundurpet 566.8
19.20/19.25 VM/Villupuram Junction 602.4 00.05/00.10
TMV/Tindivanam 639.7
MLMR/Melmaruvathur 669.8
MMK/Madurantakam 680.7
17.58/18.00 CGL/Cengalpattu Junction 705.3 01.55/02.00
17.28/17.30 TBM/Tambaram 736.3 02.28/02.30
MBM/Mambalam 754.0
17.00 MS/Chennai Egmore 760.9 03.05

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ The coach composition is subject to change.

References[]

  1. ^ "Royal Mail back on track as new line connects Chennai to Kollam". India Today. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Sengottai–Kollam railway line reopens after eight years". The New Indian Express. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Special trains announced between Tambaram and Kollam". The Times of India. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  4. ^ "First train from Chennai on Punalur line has commuters ready to roll". The Times of India. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  5. ^ "BioTesting Europe officially announced by EBF". Biometric Technology Today. 15 (6): 5. June 2007. doi:10.1016/s0969-4765(08)70031-6. ISSN 0969-4765.
  6. ^ "After 19 years, Chennai–Kollam regular train service to resume from Monday". The New Indian Express. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  7. ^ "After 19 years, Chennai–Kollam regular train service to resume from Monday". The New Indian Express. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.

Sources[]

External links[]

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