The passenger train started in 1853, but India’s rail operations started in 1837
The Indian Railways is one of the oldest railway networks in the world,
originally started by the British regime during their rule in India. However, when India gained independence, the railway network was officially named Indian Railways, and since then, it has grown into one of the largest and busiest railway networks on the planet.
Unfortunately, the history of transport, in this case trains, isn’t considered as important as the country’s social, financial, economic, or literary history; not many people are aware of India’s history on wheels. Therefore, in this article of the ‘India On Wheel’ series, we have compiled some of the oldest running trains in India that have witnessed the growth of Indian Railways, playing a crucial part in India’s logistics history.
Netaji Express
Once known as the Kalka Mail, the train service was established to transport British elites from Kolkata to Kalka, from where they would then travel to Shimla, the summer capital of the British regime. The train has been running since 1866, celebrating its 159th year of operation in 2025. The train’s name was changed to Netaji Express in 2021 because it was the train which Netaji boarded from Gomoh near Dhanbad during his ‘Great Escape’ from house arrest to Germany.
Punjab Mail
(Credit- Deccan Herald)
The Punjab Mail celebrated its 100th year of operation in 2012. Started in 1912, the train originally hauled passengers from Peshawar to Bombay’s Ballard Pier Mole Station. However, after the partition of India, the train’s starting point in the Northwest was shifted to Ferozpur, and in Bombay (now Mumbai), the originating point was moved to Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus). During the pre-partition era, this was considered India’s fastest train, catering to the elite with several amenities onboard.
Frontier Mail
(Credit- Amar Ujala)
Now known as the Golden Temple Mail, which runs between Mumbai and Amritsar, the Frontier Mail was launched in 1928 to rival the Punjab Mail, also running on the same route. Similar to the Punjab Mail, it catered to an elite clientele, mostly British, who would travel to Mumbai by steamers and then board the train to reach Peshawar, which was British India’s frontier at the time. Thus, the name Frontier Mail. This was one of the first trains in India to feature air conditioning, utilising ice blocks.
Bombay-Poona Mail
(Credit- Wikiwand)
The Bombay-Poona (Mumbai-Pune) Mail was the first commuter train in India, serving daily passengers between Mumbai and Pune. The train began its journey in 1869, and despite being a daily commuter train, it featured first, second, and third-class accommodations. Not to be forgotten, it also had a 32-seater restaurant, and fans were installed in the first and second classes. In 1971, the train was discontinued, and the Sahyadri Express took its place, running on the same schedule.
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
(Credit- India TV News)
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is India’s first and oldest mountain railway system, having been established in 1881. The small trains were required to connect West Bengal’s Siliguri to Darjeeling, another favourite hill station of the British elites. Before the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the hill station was accessed by horse cart, which made the journey slow and tiresome. Therefore, trains were used to make the journey easier.
