Amritsar Mail
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Category:Use dmy dates from January 2016 Category:Use Indian English from January 2016Category:All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English
Howrah-Amritsar Mail At Ambala Cantonment Junction railway station | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Mail/Express |
| First service | 1 January 1884 |
| Current operator | Eastern Railway |
| Route | |
| Termini | Howrah (HWH) Amritsar (ASR) |
| Stops | 55 |
| Distance travelled | 1,911 km (1,187 mi) |
| Average journey time | 36 hrs 45 mins |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Train number | 13005 / 13006 |
| On-board services | |
| Classes | AC First Class, AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier, AC 3 Tier Economy, Sleeper Class, General Unreserved |
| Seating arrangements | Yes |
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes |
| Catering facilities | Available |
| Observation facilities | Large windows |
| Baggage facilities | Available |
| Other facilities | Below the seats |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | LHB coach |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Operating speed | 52 km/h (32 mph) average including halts. |
The Amritsar Mail, colloquially known as the Punjab Mail in the eastern part of India, is a mail train operated by the Eastern Railway Zone of Indian Railways. This train serves as a vital link connecting the capital city of West Bengal, Kolkata, with the historic and revered pilgrimage city of Amritsar in India. It operates under the train numbers 13005 from Howrah Junction in Kolkata to Amritsar Junction, and 13006 on its return journey.
History
The Howrah - Amritsar Mail holds the distinction of being one of the oldest operating Mail trains within the Indian Railways network. It commenced service on January 1, 1884, with the primary purpose of transporting British officials, including military and civil service personnel along with their families, from Howrah in undivided Bengal to Lahore Junction & Peshawar in the undivided Punjab region. Originally known as the 05 UP / 06 DN Punjab Mail, it was operated by the East Indian Railway Company (EIR) alongside another prestigious train, the 01 UP / 02 DN East India Mail (now known as Kalka Mail / Netaji Express). Around the same period, in 1889, the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) introduced its own Punjab Mail, running from Mumbai Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) to Lahore Junction via Peshawar. Intriguingly, both trains shared identical numbering (05 UP / 06 DN), a reflection of the independent operations of various railway companies under the British Raj.
References
- ↑ "[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ - Train Numbers". www.irfca.org. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ↑ "[IRFCA] Indian Steam Railway Society Article". www.irfca.org. Retrieved 15 April 2024.