Sunday, August 16, 2026

Late 19th Century. India, Bombay (Mumbai).

 

An Ekka dropping off passengers at Victoria Terminus.

Now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

Victoria Terminus was designed by a British architectural engineer Frederick William Stevens from an initial design by Axel Haig, in an exuberant Indo Gothic style.

Mahatma Gandhi wrote about his first stay in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1891, after returning from England to practice law.  In his autobiography, he described walking all the way from his residence in Girgaum to the High Court, noting that he had made it a rule to avoid carriages






 

On this day in 1912, the legendary Punjab Mail commenced service from Ballard Pier Mole Station, Mumbai, connecting the city with Peshawar in the northwest frontier of British India.

The train covered an impressive 2,496 km in about 47 hours via the GIP Railway route. During the pre-Partition era, it was regarded as the fastest train in British India, symbolising speed, prestige and the growing railway network that connected the subcontinent.

From Ballard Pier, Mumbai to Punjab

A 1937 timetable reveals an unusual link between Mumbai’s port and its railway network.

On alternate Thursdays, an Overland Boat Train would leave Ballard Pier (Mole Station) for Delhi and the Punjab, timed to connect with the arrival of a P&O mail steamer from overseas.

Passengers arriving by ship could continue their journey inland by train.

Even the timetable lists Hindu and Mahomedan Refreshment Rooms, a waiting room and arrangements for passengers arriving by steamer.

There was even a restaurant car running from Mumbai to Delhi and from Lahore to Rawalpindi.

Punjab Mail (PT)/12137 News - Railway Enquiry
Punjab Mail (PT)/12137 News - Railway Enquiry
India Rail Info
Punjab Mail - Wikipedia
Punjab Mail - Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Punjab Mail (PT)/12137 News - Railway Enquiry
Punjab Mail (PT)/12137 News - Railway Enquiry
India Rail Info
IN PHOTOS: Two Indian Railways iconic trains complete 111 and 93 years of service on June 1
IN PHOTOS: Two Indian Railways iconic trains complete 111 and 93 years of service on June 1
Mid-Day
5 Oldest Trains In India
5 Oldest Trains In India
India.com
5 Oldest Trains In India
5 Oldest Trains In India
India.com
अंग्रेजों के जमाने की सबसे तेज ट्रेन, 111 साल हुए पूरे, सफर तो किया होगा आपने भी, क्या जानते हैं इसके बारे में? - Oldest train of india completed 111 years of
अंग्रेजों के जमाने की सबसे तेज ट्रेन, 111 साल हुए पूरे, सफर तो किया होगा आपने भी, क्या जानते हैं इसके बारे में? - Oldest train of india completed 111 years of
News18 Hindi
P&O and the Indian Mail Service
P&O and the Indian Mail Service
The Old P&O Line
Punjab Mail (PT)/12137 News - Railway Enquiry
Punjab Mail (PT)/12137 News - Railway Enquiry
India Rail Info
A Passage To India - Location-Notes, Photos, and Maps of the Railway Scenes
A Passage To India - Location-Notes, Photos, and Maps of the Railway Scenes
MapAbility.Com
Mumbai Central Terminus - All You SHOULD Know Before Going 2026 (with Reviews)
Mumbai Central Terminus - All You SHOULD Know Before Going 2026 (with Reviews)
Tripadvisor
Punjab Mail (PT)/12137 News - Railway Enquiry
Punjab Mail (PT)/12137 News - Railway Enquiry
India Rail Info
India's first train, 'Golden Temple Mail' completes 92 years of its run | Nation - PTC News
India's first train, 'Golden Temple Mail' completes 92 years of its run | Nation - PTC News
PTC News
Iconic Punjab Mail Enters 114th Year Of Service, Continues To Embody Railway Heritage And Resilience
Iconic Punjab Mail Enters 114th Year Of Service, Continues To Embody Railway Heritage And Resilience
Free Press Journal
Ballard Pier in 1930 Mumbai
Ballard Pier in 1930 Mumbai
Facebook
India's Oldest Train Completes 106 Years Today! | ixigo Travel Stories
India's Oldest Train Completes 106 Years Today! | ixigo Travel Stories
Ixigo
History of the Frontier Mail Train | PDF | Violence | Railway
History of the Frontier Mail Train | PDF | Violence | Railway
Scribd
Punjab Mail (PT)/12137 News - Railway Enquiry
Punjab Mail (PT)/12137 News - Railway Enquiry
India Rail Info
Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai]: Once upon a time, WR was mocked as a 'waste of money'
Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai]: Once upon a time, WR was mocked as a 'waste of money'
Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai]
On the tracks of the Frontier Mail
On the tracks of the Frontier Mail
The Nation
5 Oldest Trains In India
5 Oldest Trains In India
India.com

Related searches

punjab mail sleeper coach
ballard pier cruise terminal
punjab mail 3rd ac
Golden Temple Mail - Bharatpedia
Golden Temple Mail - Bharatpedia
Bharatpedia
PPT - Lost Mumbai: Railway Stations and Landmarks of the Past PowerPoint Presentation - ID:9584286
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)