Boat Mail Express
Boat Mail Express is at Chennai Egmore Railway Station Platform No : 9
Overview
Service type	Mail/Express
Status	Active
Locale	Tamil Nadu
Predecessor	Indo-Ceylon Express
First service	24 February 1914; 110 years ago (1914-02-24)
Last service	Operation till now
Successor	Rameswaram Express
Current operator(s)	Southern Railway zone
Former operator(s)	South Indian Railway (SIR)
Ridership	Mail/Express
Website	www.indianrailways.gov.in
Route
Termini	Chennai Egmore (MS) Mandapam (MMM)
Stops	20
Distance travelled	665 km (413 mi)
Average journey time	12 hours 30min
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	16751/16752
Line(s) used	Main Line
On-board services
Class(es)	1 1st A/C I Tire (H) 1 2nd A/C II Tire (A) 3 3rd A/C III Tire (B) 13 Sleeper (SL) 3 Unreserved (GS) 2 GSLRD
Disabled access
Seating arrangements	Yes (Un-Reserved Compartment)
Sleeping arrangements	Yes (Berth)
Catering facilities	E-Catering 16751 : (Chennai Egmore ➡ Villupuram Junction) 16752 : (MANDAPAM ➡ Tiruchchirappalli Junction)
Observation facilities	Large windows
Entertainment facilities	No
Baggage facilities	AVAILABLE
Other facilities	BIO TOILET
Technical
Rolling stock	MMM ↔ TPJ → WDM-3A, WDG-3A Loco from Diesel Loco Shed, Golden Rock TPJ ↔ MS → WAP-4 Loco from Arakkonam, Erode Electric Shed
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification	25 kV AC, 50 Hz (High Voltage traction)
Operating speed	59 km/h (37 mph)
Average length	23 Coaches
Track owner(s)	Southern Railway
Rake maintenance	Ramanathapuram
Rake sharing	Sethu Superfast Express&[AMRITHA EXPRESS ]
Route map

The Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express, previously known as the Boat Mail or Indo-Ceylon Express, is an express train that connects Rameswaram with the state capital Chennai via Tambaram, Chengalpet, Melmaruvattur, Viluppuram, Cuddalore port, Chidambaram, Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai, Tanjore, Tiruchchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, Sivagangai, Manamadurai, Paramakkudi and Ramanathapuram. During the 1900s, it was a combined train - steamer ferry- Train service between India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Connecting Chennai and Colombo, the system initially utilised a rail-to-sea operation, but changed to a rail-sea-rail operation.^[1] Passengers could buy a single ticket for the journey from Chennai to Colombo full stretch over sea journey.^[2] After Indian Independence, the ferry service was stopped and Train was running in the name Dhanushkodi Express from Chennai Egmore to Dhanushkodi. After Dhanushkodi was destroyed in the Cyclone of 1964, the train service was stopped. Now, it runs from Chennai Egmore to Rameswaram via Villuppuram, Kumbakonam, Tiruchchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karaikkudi, Devakottai, Manamadurai, Paramakkudi, Ramanathapuram, Mandapam, and Pamban.

This train shared its rake with Sethu Express&AMRITHA EXPRESS (FROM DECEMBER 31).

The train's name commemorates the 19th century mail service between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). It is one of the top most prestigious trains of Indian Railways and it has completed 100 years of service in 2014.^[2] Before cyclone, the train was running as a metre-gauge train from Chennai Egmore to Dhanushkodi via Chengalpattu Junction, Viluppuram Junction, Cuddalore Port Junction, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai Junction, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur Junction, Pudukkottai, Karaikkudi Junction, Devakottai, Sivagangai, Manamadurai Junction, Ramanathapuram and Rameswaram. Due to the conversion of metre gauge to broad gauge, the train was stopped. After the completion of broad-gauge track in Chennai–Madurai–Rameswaram line, the train is resumed via Madurai Junction. Later the conversion of Tiruchirappalli–Manamadurai line, this train is rerouted via that route which skips Madurai. Finally the Mayiladuthurai to Thanjavur line is converted to broad gauge once again this train is rerouted via Thanjavur which is the present route of Boat Mail Express.^[2]

The train was inaugurated on 1 January 1880. The railway portion of the route within India was from Madras (Chennai) 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.^[1] Presently this train route is running as Pearl City Express.

In 1914, after the Pamban bridge was built, the train's route changed and it went from Madras to Dhanushkodi.^[3] A much shorter ferry service then took the passengers to Talaimannar in Ceylon, from where another train went to Colombo. The 35-kilometre (22 mi) long ferry journey was considerably shorter than the 270-kilometre (170 mi) long Tuticorin-Colombo route. From 1930's, this train has been rerouted from its original route via Madurai Junction to its present-day route due to the opening of Trichinopoly - Manamadurai railway route which is shorter distance in comparison with its original route which leads to reduction in overall travel time.

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,^[2] while the ferry service to Talaimannar has restarted from Rameswaram has been discontinued from 1984 due to Tamil Eelam issue.^[4] It now runs between Chennai Egmore and Rameswaram via Tambaram, Chengalpattu Junction, Viluppuram Junction, Cuddalore Port Junction , Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai Junction, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur Junction, Tiruchirappalli Junction, Pudukkottai, Karaikkudi Junction, Devakottai Road, Kallal, Sivaganga, Manamadurai Junction, and Ramanathapuram in the Indian end where as it runs as Colombo - Thalaimannar Night Mail express at Sri Lankan end.

• 16751 – Starts from Chennai Egmore daily at 19:15 IST and reaches Rameswaram next day at 08:20 AM IST
• 16752 – Leaves Rameswaram every day at 17:20 IST and reaches Chennai Egmore next day morning 06:45 IST

The Rameswaram to Tiruchchirappalli section is hauled by a WDM-3A/WDG-3A Diesel locomotive and Tiruchchirappalli to Chennai Egmore by a WAP-4 electric loco. The same locomotive types are used on the return journey. Between Tiruchchirappalli Junction and Chennai Egmore, this train achieves a maximum speed of 110 km/h.^[5][6]

The train consists of 23 coaches, which shares its rakes with Sethu Superfast Express, operates daily and covers a distance of 667 km (414 mi). It includes One AC First Class cum 2nd AC (HA), AC 2 Tier (A), AC 3 Tier (B), Sleeper Class (SL), Unreserved general sitting coach (GS) and End on Generators (SLRD).

Loco	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23
	SLR	GS	GS	S1	S2	S3	S4	S5	S6	S7	S8	S9	S10	S11	S12	S13	B3	B2	B1	A1	HA1	GS	SLR

At one time the South Indian Railway considered constructing a bridge 12 miles (19 km) long across the shallow waters and sand shoals and reefs known as Adam's Bridge between India and Sri Lanka. However, this plan was shelved when World War I broke out.

• Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express Running Chennai to Trichy with WAP-4 Locomotive from Erode, Arakkonam Electric Shed.
• Trichy - Rameswaram WDM-3A, WDG-3A Locomotive from Diesel Loco Shed, Golden RockTrains first came to India and Sri Lanka about 200 years ago in the 1850s.

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