Boat Mail


The Boat Mail or Indo-Ceylon Express is a combined train and steamer ferry service between India and Ceylon. Connecting Chennai and Colombo, the system initially utilised a rail-to-sea operation, but changed to a rail-to-sea-to-rail operation. Passengers could buy a single ticket for the journey.

History

The train's name commemorates the 19th century mail service between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. It is one of the top most prestigious trains of Indian Railways and it has completed 100 years of service in 2014. Before cyclone, the train was running via Chennai Egmore and Dhanushkodi via Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvarur, Karaikudi, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram.

Tuticorin-Colombo era

In the late 19th century, the railway portion of the route within India was from Madras 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.

Dhanushkodi-Talaimannar era

In 1914, after the Pamban bridge was built, the train's route changed and it went from Madras to Dhanushkodi. A much shorter ferry service then took the passengers to Talaimannar in Ceylon, from where another train went to Colombo. The long ferry journey was considerably shorter than the 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, while the ferry service to Talaimannar has since been discontinued. It now runs between Chennai Egmore and Rameswaram via Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram.

Traction

The Rameswaram to Villupuram section is hauled by a WDM3A/2 Diesel locomotive and Villupuram to Chennai Egmore by a WAP7 Electric loco. The same locomotive types are used on the return journey. Between Tiruchirappalli and Tambaram, this train achieves a maximum speed of 110 km/Hr.

Coach composition

The train consists of 23 coaches, operates daily and covers a distance of, running at a top speed of
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Alternative Proposals

At one time the South Indian Railway considered constructing a bridge 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.

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