Golden Temple Mail

The Golden Temple Mail, previously known as the Frontier Mail, is one of the oldest running train routes in India, itself boasting one of the oldest and largest rail networks still in operation today.

In its original form, the Frontier Mail connected Bombay (now Mumbai) and Peshawar, in North-West Frontier Province of the then-undivided India and that's how the name was derived. This train has a mention in Hindi film The Forgotten Hero and Subhash Chandra Bose is reported to have traveled in Frontier Mail to Peshawar in 1944, from there escaping to Kabul in Afghanistan. After the Partition of India, the Frontier Mail connected Mumbai and Amritsar, which is the last city in India on route to Wagah. In 1996, it was renamed as the Golden Temple Mail (12903UP/12904DN) after the Golden Temple, one of the holiest shrines in the Sikh religion.

History

The Frontier Mail made its debut on 1 September 1928. When it was first introduced, the train ran between Ballard Pier Mole Station, Mumbai and Peshawar. After closing down of Ballard Pier it started operating from Colaba, Mumbai and Peshawar, the latter of which is now situated in the western region of Pakistan. Before long, the train was able to lay claim to being India's fastest long distance train. In 1930, The Times of London described it as "one of the most famous express trains within the British Empire." During the autumn months between September and December, the train used to depart from the Ballard Pier Mole...
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