Reportedly among hundreds of trains that cover the vast expanse of the country, some trains are truly special. Meanwhile for the people in Tamilnadu, especially those from the southern part of the state, Pandian Express is much more than a train and it is a lifeline that connects them with a better future in cities like Chennai and Trichy, Tuesday marks 50 years since Pandian Express was first flagged off from Madurai.
It was named after the famed dynasty that ruled from Madurai, Pandian Express started its journey on October 1, 1969, a cold Wednesday. Reports added the iconic train, connecting Madurai and Chennai (then Madras), were 18 coaches long, hauled by two steam engines. For Krishnakumar, Pandian Express was and is the Pride of Madurai Division said “Pandian Express is one of the trains whose punctuality was monitored by the Railway Board itself and for Southern Railway, the cash-cow is the Chennai-Nagercoil line and Pandian Express is one of the most prestigious trains ever operated on the line”.
Apparently “The celebration of such landmarks in a train’s history is actually a gesture of saying thanks to all those who were and are behind the successful run of the train. It takes the efforts of hundreds to run each train and we just want to thank them for their work.”
