The Boat Trains to the Punjab

The Punjab Mail v. The Frontier Mail
           
           
RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE                                                                                                                                                                                         THE SHIPS OF P&O

Back in 1855 the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) was struggling to get approval from the British for the construction of its line across the Western Ghats, and as a result the rival Bombay Baroda & Central India Railway (BB&CIR) put forward its proposed alternative route via Baroda which was more practical as it avoided the Western Ghats and could connect with the East Indian Railway. Since that time there has been a great rivalry between the GIPR and the BB&CIR. This was exemplified in their express trains from Bombay to the Punjab and the legendary rivalry between the Punjab Mail and the Frontier Mail respectively.

Both these trains regularly were extended to operate from Bombay (Ballard Pier Mole Station) to connect with the P&O steamships from Britain. In the days of the British Raj, this station was a major hub on the GIPR for the British officials arriving from Britain for the posting in colonial British India. From there they could board connecting trains to various parts of British India including New Delhi, the Punjab and Calcutta.

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/ALEX%20NAUGHTON.OWNER-2TYZC0SV7/My%20Documents/My%20Postcard%20Collection/My%20Postcard%20Collection3%20-%20Railways/Frontier%20Mail%20to%20Amritsar.jpg

The Punjab Mail (Est. 1912)
Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR)
Bombay (Victoria Terminus) - Agra - New Delhi - Amritsar - Lahore - Rawalpindi - Peshawar (Cantt)

The Punjab Mail was inaugurated from Bombay in 1912 and her destination was Peshawar in the Punjab. On fixed mail days, the Punjab Mail operated from Bombay (Ballard Pier Mole Station) to connect with the P&O ships. When not operating from Ballard Pier, the train started and finished in the grand and imposing Bombay Victoria Terminus station. From Bombay the train set off via the GIPR route to New Delhi and Peshawar covering the 2,496 km route in about 47 hours. In the days of the British Raj the Punjab Mail was the fastest train in British India. Initially the train was very luxurious and all first class catering for the British colonial elite and their servants. The train was also one of the few that conveyed a restaurant car. In the 1930s third class carriages were introduced on the train but the Punjab Mail retained her prestige status. In 1914 she covered the 1,541 km from Bombay to Delhi in 29 hours 30 minutes. In the 1920s this journey time was reduced to 27 hours 10 minutes. The Punjab Mail continued operating throughout both the First World War and the Second World War. In 1945 it gained the first air conditioned carriage.

In 1947 British India became independent from the British Empire but in much turmoil was partitioned and split into what today is Pakistan and India. This impacted on the route of the Punjab Mail as its western destinations were now in Pakistan and as a result after independence the train was curtailed to terminate in Firozpur instead of Peshawar. Also with the creation of Indian Railways it became operated by the new Central Railway division. From 1976 the train was hauled by diesels for its entire route. Today the Punjab Mail takes 36 hours to cover the 1,929 km from Bombay to Firozpur. The train is also electric hauled from Bombay to New Delhi. For many years it had lost its superfast status but in 1997 it returned to being a superfast between Bombay and New Delhi although it is only an ordinary express for the final leg of its journey to Firozpur. Nevertheless the Punjab Mail today remains one of the legendary express trains of India and has an illustrious history and is much loved.

The Frontier Mail (Est. 1928)
Bombay Baroda & Central India Railway (BB&CIR)
Bombay (Churchgate) - Baroda - New Delhi - Amritsar - Lahore - Rawalpindi - Peshawar

The Frontier Mail was inaugurated from Bombay in 1928 and her destination was Peshawar in the Punjab. In the winter months from September to December the train was extended to operate from Bombay (Ballard Pier Mole Station) to connect with the P&O ships. To get to this pier the train had to traverse the metals of the rival GIPR and the Bombay Harbour Railway. The Frontier Mail made the journey end to end in 72 hours.

The Frontier Mail was considered more than just a train, she was an institution and a way of life taking the traveller across the length and breadth of British India and deep into the North West Frontier. The Times newspaper in 1930 acclaimed the Frontier Mail as "one of the most famous express trains in the British Empire" and her punctuality was legendary. When not departing from Ballard Pier, the Frontier Mail started its journey in Bombay (Colaba Station) and from there also called at Bombay (Churchgate) station. The BB&CIR headquarters was located outside Bombay (Churchgate) station and it was one of the first buildings in India to be floodlit. It was not however lit up to highlight the grandeur of the architecutre but in fact for a very different reason. Every evening, when the Frontier Mail arrived back in Bombay, the building would be floodlit to annouce the safe arrival of the train and its passengers such was the legendary status of this train. In those days the floodlighting could be seen across the city from a distance of 36 square miles. The Frontier Mail was a very legendary and prestigious train and catered for the elite of the British Raj and officials who were posted to the Frontier. A restaurant car was also included on the train. Each first class carriage on the train was self contained with its own lavatory in the carriage. All the upper class cars on the train had electric lighting and fans. In 1929 a new restaurant car was introduced for the train called the "Queen of Rajputana". The food on board was very high quality and was renowned as the finest in India.

In 1947 British India became independent from the British Empire but in much turmoil was partitioned and split into what today is Pakistan and India. This impacted on the route of the Frontier Mail as its western destinations were now in Pakistan and as a result after independence the train was curtailed to terminate in Amritsar instead of Peshawar. Also with the creation of Indian Railways it became operated by the new Western Railway division. Today the train remains a superfast for its entire route so retains a semblance of its legendary status. It now operates from Bombay (Central Station) as Bombay (Colaba) is long gone.

Sadly in 1996 due to a decision by the Ministry of Railways the Frontier Mail was renamed as the Golden Temple Mail and the historic Frontier Mail name disappeared forever. A sad end to a legendary historic name.

 






(c) The AJN Transport Britain Collection 2007                                                                                                                                          A TRANSPORT BRITAIN WEBSITE