![]() Chennai EgmoreâKollam Junction Express at
Kollam Junction | |||||
Overview | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Service type | Express | ||||
Status | Operating | ||||
Locale | Kerala & Tamil Nadu | ||||
First service | 26 November 1904 Re-introduced on 4 March 2019 | ||||
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 QLNâVPT section WAP-4 or WAP-7 in VPTâMS section | ||||
Track gauge | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Indian broad gauge | ||||
|
The Chennai EgmoreâKollam 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]
Opened on 1 June 1904, the QuilonâMadras 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 KollamâSengottai line was opened for passenger train service. [2] [3] The first passenger train was the Tambaramâ Kollamâ 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 TambaramâKollam 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 are the four removed from the stoppage list)). The daily express train service between Chennai Egmore and Kollam Junction via Madurai Junction, Rajapalayam and Tenkasi 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 QuilonâMadras Mail. The service was diverted through Virudhunagar and Manamadurai in 1996 due to gauge conversion works in VirudhunagarâMadurai stretch. Later, the service discontinued in 2000 for gauge conversion works. [6]
It runs along the British-made historic Quilonâ Madras rail route and other chord lines including KollamâSengottai which is the shortest existing rail route from Chennai to Kollam via Chengalpattu, Dindigul, Trichy, Madurai, Srivilliputtur, Tenkasi and Punalur.
Chennai Egmoreâ Tambaram â Chengalpattu Junction â Viluppuram Junction â Vriddhachalam Junction â Tiruchchirappalli Junction â Dindigul Junction â Madurai Junction â Virudhunagar Junction â Srivilliputtur â Rajapalayam â Sankarankovil â Kadayanallur â Tenkasi Junction â Sengottai â Punalur â Avaneeswaram â Kottarakara â Kundara âKollam Junction [7]
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.
The train has 17 bogies comprising one A/C two-tier, two A/C three-tier, ten sleeper class, two unreserved general coaches and 2 luggage rakes. [a]The number of coaches got increased from 14 to 17 from April 9th 2024, subject to positive inspection report submitted by RDSO to Southern Railway for running 22 LHB/24 ICF coaches in the Ghats section. The number of coaches will be further increased in the next phase after the extension of platforms in stations along Kollam-Sengottai section to accommodate 24 coaches. [8]
Loco | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SLR | GEN | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | S7 | S8 | S9 | S10 | B1 | B2 | A1 | GEN | SLR |
16101 MS-QLN | STATION | KMs | 16102 QLN-MS |
---|---|---|---|
07.30 | QLN/Kollam Junction | 000.0 | 12.00 |
KLQ/Kilikollur | 005.6 | ||
CTPE/Chandanattop Halt | 007.3 | ||
06.31/06.32 | KUV/Kundara | 012.7 | 12.17/12.18 |
KFV/Kundara East | 014.6 | ||
EKN/Ezhukone | 017.6 | ||
06.20/06.21 | KKZ/Kottarakara | 024.7 | 12.29/12.30 |
KIF/Kuri | 032.4 | ||
06.10/06.11 | AVS/Auvaneswsarem | 036.6 | 12.39/12.40 |
05.55/06.00 | PUU/Punalur | 044.3 | 12.55/13.00 |
EDN/Edamann | 052.8 | ||
OKL/Ottakkal | 061.5 | ||
TML/Tenmalai | 066.2 | ||
KTHY/Kazhuthuruthy | 070.0 | ||
EDP/Edapalayam Halt | 072.9 | ||
AYVN/New Aryankavu | 074.8 | ||
AYV/Aryankavu | 078.9 | ||
BJM/Bhagavathipuram | 087.8 | ||
03.45/03.50 | SCT/Sengottai | 094.0 | 15.00/15.05 |
03.33/03.35 | TSI/Tenkasi Junction | 101.9 | 15.15/15.17 |
03.14/03.15 | KDNL/Kadayanallur | 117.9 | 15.31/15.32 |
PBKS/Pamba Kovil Shandy | 127.0 | ||
02.48/02.50 | SNKL/Sankarankovil | 138.7 | 15.59/16.00 |
CPM/Cholapuram | 160.0 | ||
02.23/02.25 | RJPM/Rajapalayam | 171.7 | 16.23/16.25 |
02.09/02.10 | SVPR/Srivilliputtur | 183.0 | 16.37/16.38 |
SVKS/Sivakasi | 199.9 | 16.54/16.55 | |
TTL/Tiruttangal | 202.8 | ||
SLGM/Sankaralingapuram | 211.8 | ||
01.25/01.30 | VPT/Viruthunagar Junction | 224.3 | 17.40/17.45 |
TMQ/Tirumangalam | 250.3 | ||
TDN/Tirupparankundram | 260.7 | ||
00.10/00.15 | MDU/Madurai Junction | 267.7 | 18.55/19.00 |
23.02/23.05 | DG/Dindigul Junction | 330.0 | 20.03/20.05 |
21.50/21.55 | TPJ/Tiruchirapalli Junction | 424.3 | 21.15/21.20 |
SRGM/Srirangam | 436.0 | ||
ALU/Ariyalur | 494.1 | ||
20.05/20.07 | VRI/Vridhachalam Junction | 547.7 | 22.48/22.50 |
ULU/Ulundurpet | 566.8 | ||
19.20/19.25 | VM/Villupuram Junction | 602.4 | 00.05/00.10 |
TMV/Tindivanam | 639.7 | ||
MLMR/Melmaruvathur | 669.8 | ||
MMK/Madurantakam | 680.7 | ||
17.58/18.00 | CGL/Cengalpattu Junction | 705.3 | 01.55/02.00 |
17.28/17.30 | TBM/Tambaram | 736.3 | 02.28/02.30 |
MBM/Mambalam | 754.0 | ||
17.00 | MS/Chennai Egmore | 760.9 | 03.05 |