Mangalore–Chennai Mail
Mangalore–Chennai Mail is a Superfast Mail daily train operated by the Indian Railways (Southern Railway) between the cities of Chennai (Madras) and Mangaluru via Salem, Podanur, Palakkad, Shoranur, Tirur, Parapanangadi, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod. It is one of the oldest train still being operated by Indian Railways. Earlier it ran from Madras Royapuram to Kozhikode (Calicut). When the line extended up to Mangalore, it ran up to Mangalore Central from Royapuram Chennai. When Madras Central came into existence its terminal was changed to Madras Central Chennai Central from Royapuram and it ran as Madras Central Chennai Central - Mangalore Central Malabar Express. Till 1887 it ran as Malabar Express, after that its name was changed to Chennai/Mangalore Mail. It was one of the prestigious train in Indian Railways. It runs always full by having more stoppages in northern Kerala beginning from Palakkad Junction to Kasaragod. It also has nine stoppages at Tamilnadu and it does not have any other stoppages in Karnataka except Mangalore Central HistoryOriginally, It was introduced as Mangalore - Madras Malabar Express on July 1, 1867, which had train number 1/2 and as Mangalore/Chennai Mail from 1887. It was one single Composite Train called as “01UP/02DOWN Mail” from Madras to Old Coimbatore (Now Podanur) and from there to Chaliyam (now Beypore in Calicut). Its inaugural run was on July 1st 1867. It did not have a name until 1887. The train was split into the Nilgiri Express in 1864 and the Malabar Mail in 1867. The Kerala Mainline was further extended to Kumbla (near Mangalore) which was completed on July 3rd 1907. Because of this the Malabar Mail was renamed into the Mangalore Mail and the [2][3] Malabar Express was diverted to connect Trivandrum to Mangalore . At present it runs with train numbers 12601/12602 Chennai- Mangalore Mail.[4] It was the first-ever train to enter Kerala with electric locomotive. Rake sharingThe train shares its rake with the West Coast Express, Maveli Express and Malabar Express.
Locomotive linkAs the route is fully electrified now it is hauled by a WAP-7 locomotive from Royapuram. References
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