Around a decade ago the Indian railways decided to re-christen the Frontier Mail which had celebrated it’s golden jubilee on tracks as the Golden Temple Mail.
Frontier Mail is much more than a train. She depicts the moving history of india on tracks, a true reflection of the fact that the train is a medium of social transformation.
The BBCI Railway company introduced the frontier Mail to compete with G.I.P Railways Deccan Queen. The Frontier Mail was the first true superfast train of India covering the fourteen hundred kilometre stretch of land from mumbai to Delhi in just twenty four hours with a steam engine! The journey further extended to Peshawar via Lahore. At Peshawar the passenger could board the train to visit the "Khyber Pass", the mysterious ancient point of entry to India , perhaps to satisfy the urge to search for origins.
In her life the Frontier Mail witnessed the British Raj and the freedomstruggle of India. She had been witness to many changes social, Technological albeit silently.
She has also seen mumbai proper over years. Originally she commencedher journey from colba railway station and biweekly from Ballard -Pierstation. She never complained when the track from Churchgate to Colabawas closed on the pretext of the development of the city. She probablylaughed at the narrow vision of the planners. She saw the Parsis fromNavsari playing a lead role in the trade and development of mumbai. Sheas probably most seriously hurt by the wounds of the partition , andthe woes of sindhi refugees. She gave them support , brought them toMumbai and today that community is playing a leading role in trade andcommerce in India. After the partition she could not visit Peshawar andhad to terminate her journey at Amritsar. she saw people and a nationdivided. Even though iron ris existed she ould not go beyond Amritsarowing to mn-mae barriers.
She greeted the new generation of Rajdhani and Shatabdi express, which claim to have conquered over her charm with dignity. But the fact remains that She was the first dream girl of every common passenger. I am sure that she prays the God to enlighten the railway authorities that although there may be many superfast trains they need to serve the common man. She could perhaps withstand the new generation competitors but not the terrorism and partitions in the society. So perhaps she decided to sacrifice her name to salute the great Sikh tradition and bring together the spirit of national harmony and unity!
She continues to toil day after day giving equal status to Mumbai, the financial capital of india and Delhi the Capital *of India, spreading the message of *National integration.
She is waiting for the day when people realize that humanity is supreme and the atmosphere of mutual cooperation and peace prevails in the sub-continent so that she can ply once more to "khyber Pass". Good luck to your Frontier Mail alias Golden Temple Mail!
P. S. Very recently train does not touch New delhi station and bifurcates from H.Nizamuddin station in Delhi etropolitan area.