Howrah–Mumbai CSMT Mail (via Gaya)

Howrah–Mumbai CSMT Mail (via Gaya), with train numbers 12321 and 12322 also known as Calcutta Mail during the pre-independence era, is a daily train running between two metro cities Kolkata, (Howrah station) in West Bengal and Mumbai CSMT in Maharashtra. The train belongs to the Mail category and is operated by Indian Railways, with maintenance done and rolling stock provided by Eastern Railway.

Howrah-Mumbai CSMT Mail (via Gaya)

Overview
Service type	Superfast Express
First service	7 March 1870 (1870-03-07)
Current operator(s)	Eastern Railway
Route
Termini	Howrah Junction (HWH) Mumbai CSMT (CSMT)
Stops	44
Distance travelled	2,158 km (1,341 mi)
Average journey time	37 hours 40 minutes
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	12321 / 12322
On-board services
Class(es)	AC First, AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier, AC 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	130 km/h (81 mph) maximum, 57 km/h (35 mph) average including halts
Route map km 2,177 Mumbai CST Central line 2,168 Dadar Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Terminus 2,124 Kalyan Junction 1,990 Nasik Road 1,917 Manmad Junction Bhusaval–Kalyan section 1,733 Bhusaval Junction to Nagpur–Bhusawal section Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh border to Akola 1,609 Khandwa Junction to Ujjain Bhopal–Nagpur section 1,426 Itarsi Junction Bhopal–Nagpur section Jabalpur–Bhusaval section to Nainpur Narmada River 1,180 Jabalpur Junction to Guna 1,090 Katni Junction to Bilaspur–Katni line Allahabad–Jabalpur section 991 Satna Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh border Howrah–Delhi main line 821 Prayagraj (Allahabad) Yamuna river Naini Chheoki to Varanasi 661 Mughalsarai Howrah–Delhi main line Grand Chord Karmanasa River Uttar Pradesh Bihar border Gaya–Mughalsarai section 458 Gaya Junction to Patna–Gaya line Falgu River to Gaya–Kiul line Asansol–Gaya section Bihar Jharkhand border 259 Dhanbad Junction Jharkhand West Bengal border Howrah–Delhi main line Bardhaman–Asansol section 95 Barddhaman Howrah–Bardhaman chord & Howrah–Bardhaman main line 0 Howrah Junction km Source: Indian Railway Time Table

History

When the Great Indian Peninsular Railway completed the construction of the Bombay - Jabalpur Railway line via Thull Ghat and Itarsi in 1870, it provided the earliest direct connection from Bombay to Calcutta via Allahabad. The inaugural service of the Calcutta Mail was started at 7 March 1870, and the inauguration was attended by The Duke of Edinburgh, the British Viceroy Lord Mayo and the Governor of Bombay, along with the Maharajahs. The train would initially cross the Thull Ghat from Bombay towards Jabalpur and Allahabad, where it would reverse and travel towards Patna to Howrah. After opening of the Howrah - Gaya - Mughalsarai line, the train was diverted to run via Gaya. The train was initially run by East Indian Railway as a passenger service with mail coaches attached.

From the 1890s, to address the quick movement of mail between Bombay and Calcutta, several postal special trains were run by GIPR and EIR. The Imperial Indian Mail was the most famous of these trains, running alongside the Calcutta Mail on a weekly basis. Difference was while the Calcutta Mail would start from Victoria Terminus, the Imperial Indian Mail would start from Ballard Pier Mole railway station because it provided a connection to the British tourists arriving by ships towards Calcutta, the then capital of British India. While the Calcutta Mail would travel to and reverse at Allahabad, the Imperial Indian Mail would instead take the Allahabad Chheoki bypass towards Mughalsarai. The Calcutta Mail served all types of passengers along its route, while the Imperial Indian Mail, with its First Class and Restaurant Cars, were catered more to the British tourists and was the pinnacle of luxury at the time.

Due to World War II, the Imperial Indian Mail along with Calcutta Mail was shut down for service, for an indefinite period of time. When the war ended in 1945, regular service resumed for the Calcutta Mail, which is the current iteration of the Howrah Mumbai Mail. This train's name was changed to Kolkata Mail to avoid confusion with the Mumbai Mail via Nagpur, though now it is named as the Mumbai Mail, same as its other counterpart.

Maintenance and operation of this train went to Eastern Railway after its formation in 1952. The train numbers, from its inception in 1870, were kept as 3 UP from Howrah to Allahabad and 4 DN from Allahabad to Howrah; numbers would change in GIPR as 7 DN from Allahabad to Victoria Terminus and 8 UP from Victoria Terminus to Allahabad. This continued till 1989, when the 4 digit numbering scheme prompted the change of train numbers from 3 UP / 4 DN to 3003/3004 from Howrah to Bombay. After its conversion to Superfast Express, numbers were changed again to 2321/2322. In 2010, due to the 5 digit numbering scheme directive, train number was again changed to its current numbers, 12321/12322.

On 1 April 2016, the Kolkata Mail was diverted permanently to run via Allahabad Chheoki instead of taking reversal at Allahabad. This has led many to confuse the Kolkata Mail with the Imperial Indian Mail, which used to do the same.

Timings

12321 Howrah Mumbai Mail via Gaya leaves Howrah everyday at 11:35 PM and arrives Mumbai CSMT every third day at 01:35 PM.

12322 Mumbai Howrah Mail via Gaya leaves Mumbai CSMT everyday at 10:15 PM and arrives Howrah every third day at 11:40 AM.

Route & halts

This train was the first through train from Mumbai to Kolkata when the Howrah–Prayagraj–Mumbai line was opened in 1870.

In its current iteration, the train has 44 halts and runs from Howrah via Barddhaman Junction, Asansol Junction, Dhanbad Junction, Gomoh Junction, Koderma Junction, Gaya Junction, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Prayagraj Chheoki Junction, Katni Junction, Gadarwara, Itarsi Junction, Khandwa, Bhusaval Junction, Manmad Junction, and Kalyan Junction, to Mumbai CSMT.

Coach composition

Kolkata Mail is composed of 22 LHB Coaches:

• 1 AC First Class cum AC Two Tier
• 1 AC Two Tier
• 5 AC Three Tier
• 1 AC Economy
• 1 AC Buffet Car (Pantry Car)
• 8 Sleeper Class
• 3 General Second Class
• 1 Divyangjan, Luggage and Brake Van
• 1 Generator Luggage and Brake Van

The services of Mumbai Mail are operated using 4 rakes and are maintained at Howrah and Mumbai.

Since 12321/12322 is a mail express service, there is facility of railway mail service provided by India Post available on this train.

Traction

It is hauled by a Howrah Loco Shed based head on generation equipped WAP-7 electric locomotive on its entire journey.

See also

• Dedicated Intercity trains of India

External links

• Timetable