Pandian Express: Keeping time & pace for 50 years
Looking Back At The Journey Of The Flagship Train of Madurai Division
Francis.T@timesgroup.com 01.10.2019
Undisputed King of Southern Railway or Honeymoon Express — sobriquets of the Pandian Express, the flagship train of Madurai railway division, are a testimony of the passion and emotional bonding passengers have towards the train that completes 50 years of its journey between the temple city of Madurai and the state capital Chennai on Tuesday.
Inaugurated on October 1, 1969, Pandian Express — named after the Pandya Kingdom, the first train in Indian Railways to be named after a kingdom — marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Southern Railway, as the need for a faster overnight connectivity between the two cities was fulfilled by the Madurai division. Led by twin steam locomotives, to haul an 18-coach rake, the train announced its departure from the Madurai Junction with the symbolic steam whistle and thick smoke amid cheers from several hundreds gathered to see it off.
D Paul David Sam, the second fireman during the inaugural run recalls the frenzy around the maiden journey, “Several people came to the railway station to see the new train with two engines. The platform was filled with people and wore a festive look. It used to be a tough job considering the smoke and ash coming from the engines. Even the wooden coaches were filled with smoke, but the passengers cherished the smell and ash. By the time we reached Trichy, our clothes would get dirty.”
It was for this debut that the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), for first time in the history of metre gauge (MG), manufactured new rakes for the purpose with a unique bottle green livery with two vermilion bands above and below the windows. During its initial days it had two first class, eight sleeper, one mail van, five unreserved and two SLR coaches. “The rakes had much bigger fans with shutter windows, all newly-introduced features. Since the coach capacity was too high, Southern Railway operated the train with double steam locomotives from Madurai to Villupuram and from thereon, with a single electric locomotive,” says Arun Pandian, a railfan.
With a maximum speed of 75kmph, the train 117/118, used to be the fastest in the MG traction, covering 495km in 11 hours and 10 minutes. For the newly-married heading to Kodaikanal, the Pandian Express used to be the go-to train due to its timings and fewer halts, with many travelling in the comforts of first class. And thus train earned the nickname ‘Honeymoon Express’.
For Maduraiites taking the train was like a homecoming. “Pandianla varen (I’m coming by Pandian),” is one way of bringing joy to Maduraiites. “From the days of cushionless seats to now, lots of memories are associated with the train. My family’s first outing on this train was in the first class coupe. It was a joyride for everyone. On other occasions, dinner with family on board the train was a routine amid peals of laughter and the nonstop chatter,” recalls Mariappan, a resident of Madurai. The train was known for its punctuality, so much so that it was preferred by the likes of M G Ramachandran and M Karunanidhi, says Arun Pandian.
In 1975, the train gave way to steam engines and a diesel locomotive was used. In 1985, two three-tier AC, one first AC and one second AC coaches were added to the rake, thus making it the first MG train to run with all existing classes of Indian Railways. The MG era of Pandian Express came to an end in March 1998 due to gauge conversion and it was during the summer that the new broad gauge era began with the same timings. From October 1, 2002 it was converted into a superfast express and the running time was reduced to nine hours. Gradually, more coaches were added due to increased demand on the Madras-Madurai section. Considering the demand, railways converted the rakes to Linke Hofmann Busch and at present, it takes 7 hours and 50 minutes to reach Madurai, while the return journey takes while it takes 8 hours and 10 minutes.
As Pandian Express completes 50 years, passengers hope its legacy of punctuality will be etched in the annals of Indian railway history.
Looking Back At The Journey Of The Flagship Train of Madurai Division
Francis.T@timesgroup.com 01.10.2019
Undisputed King of Southern Railway or Honeymoon Express — sobriquets of the Pandian Express, the flagship train of Madurai railway division, are a testimony of the passion and emotional bonding passengers have towards the train that completes 50 years of its journey between the temple city of Madurai and the state capital Chennai on Tuesday.
Inaugurated on October 1, 1969, Pandian Express — named after the Pandya Kingdom, the first train in Indian Railways to be named after a kingdom — marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Southern Railway, as the need for a faster overnight connectivity between the two cities was fulfilled by the Madurai division. Led by twin steam locomotives, to haul an 18-coach rake, the train announced its departure from the Madurai Junction with the symbolic steam whistle and thick smoke amid cheers from several hundreds gathered to see it off.
D Paul David Sam, the second fireman during the inaugural run recalls the frenzy around the maiden journey, “Several people came to the railway station to see the new train with two engines. The platform was filled with people and wore a festive look. It used to be a tough job considering the smoke and ash coming from the engines. Even the wooden coaches were filled with smoke, but the passengers cherished the smell and ash. By the time we reached Trichy, our clothes would get dirty.”
It was for this debut that the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), for first time in the history of metre gauge (MG), manufactured new rakes for the purpose with a unique bottle green livery with two vermilion bands above and below the windows. During its initial days it had two first class, eight sleeper, one mail van, five unreserved and two SLR coaches. “The rakes had much bigger fans with shutter windows, all newly-introduced features. Since the coach capacity was too high, Southern Railway operated the train with double steam locomotives from Madurai to Villupuram and from thereon, with a single electric locomotive,” says Arun Pandian, a railfan.
With a maximum speed of 75kmph, the train 117/118, used to be the fastest in the MG traction, covering 495km in 11 hours and 10 minutes. For the newly-married heading to Kodaikanal, the Pandian Express used to be the go-to train due to its timings and fewer halts, with many travelling in the comforts of first class. And thus train earned the nickname ‘Honeymoon Express’.
For Maduraiites taking the train was like a homecoming. “Pandianla varen (I’m coming by Pandian),” is one way of bringing joy to Maduraiites. “From the days of cushionless seats to now, lots of memories are associated with the train. My family’s first outing on this train was in the first class coupe. It was a joyride for everyone. On other occasions, dinner with family on board the train was a routine amid peals of laughter and the nonstop chatter,” recalls Mariappan, a resident of Madurai. The train was known for its punctuality, so much so that it was preferred by the likes of M G Ramachandran and M Karunanidhi, says Arun Pandian.
In 1975, the train gave way to steam engines and a diesel locomotive was used. In 1985, two three-tier AC, one first AC and one second AC coaches were added to the rake, thus making it the first MG train to run with all existing classes of Indian Railways. The MG era of Pandian Express came to an end in March 1998 due to gauge conversion and it was during the summer that the new broad gauge era began with the same timings. From October 1, 2002 it was converted into a superfast express and the running time was reduced to nine hours. Gradually, more coaches were added due to increased demand on the Madras-Madurai section. Considering the demand, railways converted the rakes to Linke Hofmann Busch and at present, it takes 7 hours and 50 minutes to reach Madurai, while the return journey takes while it takes 8 hours and 10 minutes.
As Pandian Express completes 50 years, passengers hope its legacy of punctuality will be etched in the annals of Indian railway history.
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