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]

Kollam Express

Chennai Egmore–Kollam Junction Express at Kollam Junction
Overview
Service type	Express
Status	Operating
Locale	Kerala & Tamil Nadu
First service	26 November 1904; 117 years ago (1904-11-26) Re-introduced on 4 March 2019; 3 years ago (2019-03-04)
Current operator(s)	Indian Railways
Route
Termini	Chennai Egmore (MS) Kollam Junction (QLN)
Stops	21
Distance travelled	761 km (473 mi)
Average journey time	15 hours 45 minutes (Up & Down)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	16101/16102
On-board services
Class(es)	AC 3 tier, Sleeper 3 tier, General Unreserved
Seating arrangements	Yes
Sleeping arrangements	Couchette cars
Catering facilities	No
Observation facilities	Large windows
Technical
Rolling stock	Indian locomotive class WDM-3A in QLN⇋VPT section WAP-4 or WAP-7 in VPT⇋MS section
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Indian broad gauge
Route map

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 Tambaram–Kollam–Tambaram 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 Quilon–Madras 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 Egmore→Tambaram →Chengalpattu Junction →Viluppuram Junction →Vriddhachalam Junction →Tiruchchirappalli Junction →Dindigul Junction →Madurai Junction →Virudhunagar Junction →Srivilliputtur →Rajapalayam →Sankarankovil →Kadayanallur →Tenkasi Junction →Sengottai →Punalur →Avaneeswaram →Kottarakara →Kundara →Kollam 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.[lower-alpha 1]

Schedule

See also

• Anantapuri Express
• Palaruvi Express
• Silambu Express
• Pothigai Express

Notes

References

Sources

• https://indiarailinfo.com/train/96239
• https://indiarailinfo.com/train/96242

External links

• Southern India Railways - Official Website
• Southern India Railway