Golden Temple Mail

2021-07-08T06:15:45Z

2401:4900:1B81:8E1D:1:1:700B:4979: /* Accident */ Fixed grammar

{{short description|SuperFast Express Train in India connecting Amritsar, Punjab with Mumbai, Maharashtra}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox rail service
| name = Golden Temple Mail
| image= 12903 Frontier Mail (2).jpg
| caption =
| type = [[Mail trains in India|Mail]]
| locale = [[Maharashtra]], [[Gujarat]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Haryana]], [[Delhi]] & [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| first = {{start date and age|df=yes|1928|09|01}}
| last =
| operator = [[Western Railway zone|Western Railways]]
| ridership =
| start = {{rws|Mumbai Central}} '''(MMCT)'''
| stops = 35
| end = {{rws|Amritsar Junction}} '''(ASR)'''
| distance = {{convert|1893|km|0|abbr=on}}
| journeytime = 31 hours 40 minutes
| frequency = Daily
| class = {{ubl|AC 1st Class, AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier, Sleeper Class, General Unreserved}}
| seating = Yes
| sleeping = Yes
| catering = Available
| observation =
| entertainment =
| baggage = Overhead racks
| otherfacilities =
| stock = [[LHB Coaches]]
| gauge = {{RailGauge|1676mm|allk=on}}
| el =
| trainnumber = 12903 / 12904
| speed = {{convert|59|km/h|0|abbr=on}} average including halts
| map = [[File:Golden Temple Mail Express (Amritsar - Mumbai) Route map.jpg|250px]]
| map_state =
}}

The 12903 / 12904 '''Golden Temple Mail''' is a [[Mail trains in India|Mail]] train belonging to [[Indian Railways]] that runs daily between [[Mumbai Central railway station|Mumbai Central]] ('''MMCT''') in [[Maharashtra]] and [[Amritsar railway station|Amritsar Junction]] ('''ASR''') in [[Punjab]]. It is named after the famous [[Golden Temple]] at [[Amritsar]]. The train will run with modern [[LHB coaches]] from 29 September 2020. The train ran as the Frontier Mail between 1928 and 1996, ferrying passengers arriving by Steamer from Europe directly from [[Ballard Pier]] in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] to the city of [[Peshawar]] on India's [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–55)|North-West Frontier]] before the [[Partition of India]].<ref>http://www.irfca.org/~shankie/famoustrains/famtrainfrontier.htm</ref>

It operates as train number 12903 from [[Mumbai Central railway station|Mumbai Central]] to [[Amritsar railway station|Amritsar Junction]] and as train number 12904 in the reverse direction.

==History==
The Golden Temple Mail was until September 1996 known as Frontier Mail. Prior the [[Partition of India]], it would run up to [[Peshawar]] on [[British India]]'s frontier with [[Afghanistan]] from which it derived its name. During the autumn months between September and December, the train used to depart from the [[Ballard Pier Mole railway station|Ballard Pier Mole]] station. This was for the convenience of the British who arrived in India by steamer. The Frontier Mail also finds a place in romanticised biographies of film actor [[Prithviraj Kapoor]] who is believed to have travelled to Bombay from his hometown of Peshawar by the Frontier Mail in 1928 to act in films. ''[[Hunterwali]]'', probably India's first action heroine, has acted in the film Miss Frontier Mail. The ''Frontier Mail'' was the first [[Air conditioning|air conditioned]] train in the [[Indian Peninsula]], when it got an air-conditioned compartment in 1934. The radio facility was provided for the first time in the Golden Temple Mail.

==Coaches==

The 12903/04 Golden Temple Mail has 1 [[Indian Railways coaching stock|AC First Cum AC 2 Tier]], 2 [[Indian Railways coaching stock|AC 2 tier]], 5 [[Indian Railways coaching stock|AC 3 tier]], 1 [[Indian Railways coaching stock|Sleeper Class]], 2 [[Indian Railways coaching stock|General unreserved coaches]], 2 General cum baggage coaches. It also has 1 Railway Mail service coach, 1 [[Dining car|Pantry]] car & 1 High Capacity Parcel Van.

==Service==

The Golden Temple Mail runs between [[Mumbai Central railway station|Mumbai Central]] and [[Amritsar railway station|Amritsar Junction]]. It is a daily service covering the distance of 1891 km in 32 hours 15 mins as 12903 Golden Temple Mail averaging 58.64 km/hr & 31 hours 55 mins as 12904 Golden Temple Mail averaging 59.25 km/hr.

== Accident==
The Down Frontier Mail, from Bombay side, with a load of 13 coaches, entered Fateh Singhpura Station on the loop line which was already occupied by No. 1118 up goods train, and collided with it The two coaches next to the engine of the Frontier Mail remained on he line undamaged, the third, a II class bogie coach, derailed, and the fourth, also a II class bogie coach, telescoped into the former. The fifth coach remained on the line but was slightly damaged, and the remaining 8 coaches remained on the line undamaged. The engines of the two trains and goods wagons are reported to have suffered hardly any damage. One, Shri Shiv Charan Singh, retired Principal of Government College, Rupar, a II class passenger in the third coach, unfortunately died, and thirty-four other passengers holding different classes of tickets received minor injuries.<ref>https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55981/1/lsd_01_09_22-03-1955.pdf Page no. 50</ref>

==Traction==

Earlier Dual traction [[Indian locomotive class WCAM 2/2P|WCAM 2/2P]] locos would haul the train between [[Mumbai Central railway station|Mumbai Central]] and [[Vadodara railway station|Vadodara]] after which a [[Vadodara railway station|Vadodara]] based [[Indian locomotive class WAP-4|WAP 4]] would take over until [[Amritsar railway station|Amritsar]].

Since [[Western Railway zone|Western Railways]] completed DC Electric Conversion to AC on 5 February 2012, it is now regularly hauled by a [[Vadodara railway station|Vadodara]] / [[Valsad railway station|Valsad]] based [[WAP 4|WAP 4E]] locomotive from end to end.

==Routing==

The train runs from {{rws|Mumbai Central}} via {{rws|Borivali}}, {{rws|Surat}}, {{rws|Vadodara}}, {{rws|Ratlam Junction}}, {{rws|Nagda}}, {{rws|Kota Junction}}, {{rws|Sawai Madhopur}}, {{rws|Gangapur City}},{{res|Bharatpur}}, {{rws|Mathura}}, {{rws|Hazrat Nizamuddin}}, {{rws|Ghaziabad}}, {{rws|Meerut City}}, {{rws|Saharanpur}}, {{rws|Ambala Cantonment}}, {{rws|Ludhiana}}, {{rws|Phagwara}}, {{rws|Jalandhar City}}, {{rws|Beas Junction}} to {{rws|Amritsar Junction}}.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:12903 Frontier Mail.jpg|12903 Golden Temple Mail - Coach HA1
File:12903 Golden Temple Mail.jpg|12903 Golden Temple Mail
File:Golden Temple Mail - AC 3 tier coach.jpg|Golden Temple Mail - AC 3 tier coach
File:The Mail coach of Golden Temple Mail.jpg|The Mail coach of Golden Temple Mail
</gallery>

==Notes==

{{notelist}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110809032241/http://irfca.org/~shankie/famoustrains/famtrainfrontier.htm About this train]
* [https://expresstrainroute.com/trains/12904-golden-temple-mail Golden Temple Mail]
* [https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55981/1/lsd_01_09_22-03-1955.pdf Accident this train page no.50]
* [http://indiarailinfo.com/train/map/537/344/297 Golden Temple Mail Route Map]
* [https://archive.is/20130415020433/]
* [http://forum.irfca.org/showthread.php/5550-Does-the-Frontier-Mail-run-completely-on-electric-raction Locomotive link]

{{Railways in Northern India}}
{{Historical trains in India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Golden Temple Mail}}
[[Category:Transport in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Transport in Amritsar]]
[[Category:Railway services introduced in 1928]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Haryana]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Delhi]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Mail trains in India]]

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Golden Temple Mail