Ballard Pier Mole was a station of the Mumbai Port Trust Railway in the Ballard Pier precinct of South Mumbai, India. The station was the terminating station of the Frontier Mail, (now the Golden Temple Mail) and the Punjab Limited Express.
| Ballard Pier Mole | |
| Type: | Indian Railway Station |
| Country: | India |
| Coordinates: | 18.9298°N 72.8436°W |
| Map Type: | Mumbai |
| Line: | Bombay Port Trust Line |
| Platforms: | 2 |
| Structure: | At-grade |
| Opened: | 1910-12 |
| Closed: | 1944 |
The station was built in the period 1910–1912, and was extended in 1914. It was named after Bombay Port Trust's first chairman, J.E. Ballard.[1] Old Photographs of the station show a station having two platforms under a single large roof. The building behind the station was itself a large one. A road was seen west of the station, and one photo shows cars parked beside the main station building. At the southern end of the station, was a clock tower-like structure. British passengers from steamers often boarded from this station. It was also an ideal picking point for mail arriving from Europe from P&O Mail steamers.[2]
According to some sources regarding the year of commencement, the Punjab Limited Express service started from Ballard Pier Mole on 1 June 1912, and later shifted to Bombay Victoria Terminus in 1914[3]
The Frontier Mail, however started on 1 September 1928, making its maiden journey from Colaba Terminus station. During the winter months from September to December, it used to depart from the mole station.