Pandian Express is 50, the majestic legacy lives on

CHENNAI: Flagship train of Madurai railway division’, ‘Undisputed King of Southern Railway’, ‘Honeymoon Express’ are some of the epithets that rail enthusiasts and railway personnel employ whenever there is a mention of

Pandian Express

. Such is the passion and emotional bonding passengers have developed towards the train as it completes 50 years of its journey between Madurai and Chennai (then Madras) on Tuesday.


Inaugurated on October 1, 1969, Pandian Express – named after the Pandya Kingdom, the first train in Indian Railways to be named after a kingdom – marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Southern Railway, as the need for a faster overnight connectivity between the two cities was fulfilled by the Madurai division.

Led by twin steam locomotives, to haul an 18-coach rake, the train announced its departure from the Madurai Junction with the symbolic steam whistle and thick black smoke amid cheers from several hundreds gathered there.

The ICF, for first time in the metre gauge (MG) era, had manufactured brand new rakes with a unique bottle green livery with two vermilion bands above and below the windows. During its initial days, the composition was two first class, eight sleeper, one mail/parcel van, five unreserved and two SLR coaches. "The rakes had much bigger fans with shutter windows, all newly-introduced features. Since the coach capacity was too high, Southern Railway operated the train with double steam locomotives from Madurai to Villupuram and from thereon, with a single electric locomotive," says Arun Pandian, a railfan.

Numbered 117/118, the train covered 495km in 11 hours and 10 minutes. The initial timings used to be 7.35pm departure at Madurai and 6.45am arrival at Madras the next day. In the return direction, it had a 7.05pm departure at Madras and 6.15am arrival at Madurai the next day. With a maximum permissible speed of 75kmph, this used to be the fastest in the MG traction.

For many newly-married couples headed for Kodaikanal, the Pandian Express was the go-to train and thus earning it the nickname ‘Honeymoon Express’. Most of them used to travel in the comfort of the first class coach till Kodai Road station due to its timings and fewer halts. For families too, this was the first choice.

"Pandianla varen (I’m coming by Pandian)," is one way of bringing joy to a typical Madurai-ite. Pandian Express is like a family. From the days of cushionless seats to this day, the train brings lots of memories. My family’s first outing on this train was in the first class coupe. It was a joyride for everyone. On other occasions, dinner with family on board the train was a routine amid peals of laughter and the non-stop chatter," recalls Mariappan, a resident of Madurai

"The train was known for its punctuality, so much so that station controllers gave it utmost priority. It was also the most preferred train by the VIPs. Former chief ministers M G Ramachandran M Karunanidhi were regular travellers of Pandian Express because of the timings," says Arun Pandian.

In 1975, the train gave up steam engines and a diesel locomotive was used. In 1985, two three-tier AC, one first AC and one second AC coaches were added to the rake, thus making it the first MG train to run with all existing classes of Indian Railways.

The MG era of Pandian Express came to an end in March 1998 following gauge conversion and it was during the summer that the new broad gauge (BG) era began with the same timings. However, from October 1, 2002, it was converted into a superfast express and the running time was reduced to nine hours from 11.10 hours with the departure from Chennai changed to 9.30pm and arrival at Madurai to 6.30am. In the return direction, the timings were changed to 8.35pm and arrival advanced to 5.45am. Gradually, more coaches were added due to increased demand on the Madras-Madurai section. Considering the demand and prestige the train enjoys among passengers, the railways converted the rakes to LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) and at present, it covers the Chennai-Madurai stretch in 7.50 hours while it takes 8.10 hours from Madurai to Chennai.

As Pandian Express completes a glorious 50 years, passengers hope that its punctuality and legacy will remain etched in the annals of Indian railway history.


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