Thiruvananthapuram Mail

Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station - Thiruvananthapuram Central Mail is a daily superfast express running between Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai under Southern Railway zone is one of the prestigious train of the Indian railways. This train runs via Kottayam. This train connects Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram along with Six big cities in South India - Salem, Erode, Coimbatore, Thrissur, Kochi and Kollam.

Chennai Central - Thiruvananthapuram Central Superfast Mail
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
LocaleTamil Nadu and Kerala
First service1944 (1944) (initial run from Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station to Cochin Harbour Terminus)
1977 (1977) (extended to Thiruvananthapuram Central)[1]
Current operator(s)Southern Railway zone
Route
StartPuratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station
Stops21 for 12624 and 20 for 12623
EndThiruvananthapuram Central
Distance travelled926 km (575 mi)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)12623 / 12624
On-board services
Class(es)First AC, AC 2 Tier AC ,3 Tier AC,Sleeper Class,General
Seating arrangementsYes
Sleeping arrangementsLHB Coaches
Auto-rack arrangementsNo
Catering facilitiesYes
Observation facilitiesLarge windows
Entertainment facilitiesNo
Technical
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification25 kV AC 50 Hz
Operating speedAverage 86 kilometres per hour (53 mph), Maximum 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph)
Route map

History

Today's 12623/24 Chennai – Thiruvananthapuram Mail, is the successor to the 561/562 Cochin Harbour Terminus (in Kochi) – Madras Express that started running in 1944. It was then the second express train running through Kerala and the first from south Kerala. In 1960, it was renumbered as the 19/20 Cochin Harbour Terminus – Madras Express and in 1965 renamed the 19/20 Cochin Harbour Terminus – Madras Mail. It was then extended to Thiruvananthapuram Central in 1977 when the rail link connecting to Thiruvananthapuram Central via Kottayam was completed and in 1990 it was renumbered 6319/6320 and later 2623/2624.[1]

Interesting Facts

It is the only daily train from Chennai to the South which does not have a halt at both Arakkonam Junction and Jolarpettai. The train was made to run via Irugur Podanur line due to single line constrains at Coimbatore junction, later it was restored via Coimbatore Junction in 2014. This is the Second Fastest train as 12623 between MAS and CBE, next to Fastest 22207 (MAS TVC Super AC Express).

Conventional ICF coaches of the train were replaced by LHB coaches during January 2017. The train usually leaves from PF no: 5 of Chennai Central till 2018. Later when the maintenance got shifted to SA Division / CBE Base, the train is now leaving from PF 9 of Chennai Central. The train shares its rake with Cheran Superfast Express. This train is one among the prestigious trains of the Southern Railway Zone.

Total number of coaches 23

The train consists of:

  • Loco HOG enabled WAP7 from Royapuram or Erode
  • 1 AC First/Second AC Coach (HA1)
  • 1 AC Two-tier coaches(A1)
  • 5 AC Three-tier coaches (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5)
  • 11 Sleeper Coaches (S1 - S11)
  • 3 Unreserved General Sitting Coaches (GS)
  • 2 end on generators

Coach composition (Upward - 12623)
Loco 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
EOGGSS11S10S9S8S7S6S5S4S3S2S1B5B4B3B2B1A1HA1GSGSEOG

Traction

•Earlier hauled by Arakkonam WAM 4 till Erode junction and then change to Diesel ALCO towards Thiruvananthapuram Central, later it was provided with WAP 4 till Ernakulam Town thereafter completed its journey to Thiruvananthapuram Central with Twin Diesel ALCO.

•After the electric traction till Thiruvananthapuram Central, the same was hauled by WAP 4

•It is now hauled by a WAP 7 of Royapuram or Erode shed.

No.20 Madras Mail, which is a Malayalam movie released in 1990 has most of the scenes shot inside the moving Thiruvananthapuram Mail train.

References
  1. "The Legend of the Island Express". 24 coaches. 16 September 2013.
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