Chapter-3
The Saga of the Railways
The British Rail- It stole the march in dedicating the first steam railway to the public when it introduced the Stockton and Darlington railway in 1825. The inaugural run was performed by ‘Locomotion’ designed by George Stephenson. Piqued by this feat, the rest of the world started looking for the British rail engineers for similar achievement in their homelands. No special effort was necessary for the British India. Introduction of the railway was sue-motto for imperial exploitation. On the British Rail effusive station buildings were constructed with state-of-the-art roof shelters.
The arches made of wrought iron and glass, resting on cast iron stanchions, cover almost all the platforms at St. Pancras (London), Paddington (London), York (curved platforms) and Manchester Central. Their fabulous span and engineering marvel arrest the attention of the rail users evoking awe and admiration. In India the architectural appearance of the elegant station building of Mumbai VT (now Mumbai CST) is comparable to St. Pancras (London) station. The station buildings as well as the structures of the shelter at the concourse of Howrah and Chennai Central stations are equally impressive.
In England the evolution of railways was on cautious lines in the formative years. Many landowners were hostile to railway lines passing through their land apprehending its devaluation and exposure of the vegetation and greenery to the destructive effect of fumes and exhaust emitted by the iron horse. Also there was no legal safeguard, through government notification, allowing company’s personnel to enter private land for conducting surveys for a new line. It was not unusual, therefore, that the surveyors employed by the railway companies were charged with felony or outraged by the agents of the landowners. The railway lines were conceived in all directions not necessarily in harmony. Railway not only elicited fear among the landowners but even the enlightened class viewed it with awe and distaste. They accused the railway of endangering the human frame by subjecting the passengers to travel in a closed coach at a speed of 20 miles an hour and exposing them to the consequences of a train disaster. It was a hard time requisitioning eminent doctors and scientists to convince the spiritless that their phobia of frightful suffocation or a train disaster was illusory. By and by the railway earned the approbation of the public. Its edge over other means of transport in the matters of rapidity, safety, reliability, convenience and trustworthiness became palpable. A number of landowners had earlier frustrated the construction of railway lines through their property and compelled the rail companies to adopt unorthodox and costlier alignment with avoidable curves and disregard of obligatory points. But soon the dissidents and the antagonists realized that the price of the land in the vicinity of railways far from declining registered increase as human settlements and industries began to develop with railway stations as nucleus. The railway did not cause any harm to its users or their commodities. On the other hand, it was of immense help in their movement. But the destiny of the railway took a propitious turn when the Queen Victoria, smitten by the romance of railway, made her debut in train travel in 1842. The Monarch arrived at Slough station-nearest to the Windsor Castle in a horse drawn carriage and boarded the tastefully decorated and sumptuously furnished Royal saloon. With eminent engineers of the Great Western Railway on the footplate of the locomotive, it was hardly half an hour journey to Paddington (London).
The Royal patronage had lent respectability to rail travel. It was possibly the greatest single boost to the proliferation of railways. Before long railways were acknowledged as a trusted mode of transport, both for passengers as well as for commodities. There was outcry from the villages, hamlets, towns & cities for railway lines. Thus, came the period (1843-46) of ‘Railway Mania’ which saw a frenzy of investments and speculations. Its fallout was that while spectacular fortunes smiled on the discreet investors it devastated those who frittered away their savings in projects of questionable financial viability.
Demolishing houses and commercial establishments to build new railway lines to provide connectivity to London was likely to be both costly and unwelcome. So, it proceeded on cautious lines. While deep penetration was feasible through the sparsely populated suburbs the alignment had to terminate at the periphery of the affluent and more influential population. This apart the private companies financing & constructing the railway lines were fascinated by the idea of having their own terminal. It was not surprising, therefore, that the metropolis ended up with fourteen rail terminals - nine on the north of Thames and five on the south. The two terminals viz St Pancras and King’s Cross are just separated by a road and enjoy a common tube station. What more, both of these are within a km of Euston.
In the fledgling years the trains had frequent stoppages. Hence equipping them with lavatories was not considered necessary. As the train came to halt at a station the wearied passengers rushed from their seats looking for such facilities to answer the call of nature. They must relieve themselves in the allotted stoppage. On similar consideration the concept of dining car or any other kind of on-board food service did not perk the interest of the service providers. The passengers not interested in leaving their seats in search of food were served run-of-the-mill food packets carried in baskets or on wheelbarrows. However, the enthusiasts looking for better stuff rushed to the food stalls. But they had to be careful to finish their meals before the guard blew the departure whistle. For originating and detraining passengers, the entrepreneurs set up restaurants at the station to serve a la carte in an amiable ambience.
The whole spectrum of passengers scrambling to the toilets, food stalls and connecting trains at a station was similar to what we witness today on the Indian railways.
The Chinese Rail- The country woke up late in construction of railway lines. As late as in 1876 the British laid a rail line from Shanghai to Wusong when the country was still circumspect and adverse to automation. Because of stiff local opposition the Government seized the railway, dismantled the line and shipped the track and the rolling stock to the island of Formosa. It was an inauspicious start to the railway development in China. But the setback was only for a short period. In another 5 years the wheels were back on rails. as the railway building was resumed following its acceptance by the public and the government.
The first Railway on the Indian soil— Marquis Dalhousie determined a generous gauge of 5 ft 6 inches for British India. The first locomotive to land at Bombay on 18th February 1852 was christened ‘Falkland’ after the name of the Governor of Bombay. Manufactured in the Vulcan foundry in England and purchased at a cost of 11,000 pounds, the locomotive made its start from a place called “Phips O Art” and began shunting operations near Byculla flats. It is surprising that although the bulk of people were steeped in ignorance and superstitions the new technology was not opposed in the way people of some western countries did. On the other hand, its performance was witnessed by the natives with extraordinary interest and rejoice.
On Saturday 16th of April 1853, the first railway line in Asia was opened to public traffic when Lord Dalhousie was the Governor General of India. Leaving BoriBunder (today’s Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus) at 04.25 p.m. amidst salute of 21 guns and playing of Governor’s band it covered a distance of 21 miles arriving Thana at 05.22 p.m. On its way, the train powered by 3 locomotives viz ‘Sultan’, ‘Sind’ and ‘Saheb’ had a short halt near Sion for taking water. The train carried 400 passengers-all guests of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. Thus, two formidable agents viz ‘steel’ and ‘steam’ were injected in the imperial India in a powerful system for advancement of commerce and promotion of civilization. Although the Governor’s band was present the Governor –Lord Falkland-was conspicuous by his absence. The Bombay Time was critical that the Governor would have missed the historic occasion. That there was 3 months delay between the inaugural run and its reporting in Australia is not at all surprising. In the 1850s there were no telegraphs, so the news would have been carried from Bombay by sailing ship for which 3 months is quite a quick passage.
Following was the fare structure in 1853:
1st class-----24 paise per mile
2nd Class----10 paise per mile
3rd class-----3 paise per mile
James John Berkeley-- A trusted associate of Robert Stevenson, Mr Berkeley was the first Chief engineer of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway from 1850 to 1862. He manifested great technical as well as organizational skill, sound judgment and admirable temper. He had faith in the skill of the natives and efficacy of the contract system. Mr Berkeley scripted the first Railway line (Bori under-Thana) in India, opened in 1853. He surveyed and designed the two formidable declivities viz Bhor ghat and Thul ghat and cherished their construction. His failing health, however, compelled him to return to England in 1861. Since his constitution was deeply undermined by the hard work in a tropical climate for a long time he could not recoup and closed his chapter in the succeeding year at a comparatively early age of 42. Upon his loss the Board of Directors had decided to erect a tablet in his memory at a conspicuous place on the Bhor ghat incline (Karjat- Lonawala section). His monument is at Camberwell old cemetery, Southwark, England. His photo is displayed in the lounge of the Indian Railway Institute of Civil Engineering, Pune.
The first Railway line in the eastern India- When the East India Company had spread its authority all over India and the British rule came to power the history of the Indian Railway began. At that time the Governor General and his council was located at Calcutta. It is a matter of surprise that despite this the first rail line was started at Bombay and not at Calcutta. There are two reasons for this:
The Britishers had no concrete plan of railway line in India. The rail lines were being constructed by the private companies which had their roots in England. The French sovereignty at Chandannagar was also posing problems.
A series of mishaps created more difficulties. The steamship ‘HMS Godwin’ carrying coaches from England sank at the Sandhead. The steamship carrying the locomotive was through a navigational error diverted to Australia. J. Hodgson, the Chief Engineer (locomotive) of the East Indian railway (1952-1955) assigned the job of manufacture of coaches to two companies of Calcutta viz, “Steward & Company” and “Setan & Company”. The locomotive redirected from Australia arrived in the steamship “Decagree”. On 18th June 1854 Hodgson gave a trial run to the engine between Howrah and Pandooah.
15th August is also a memorable day in the history of India for another reason. On this date of the year 1854, the first train in the eastern region ran from Howrah to Hooghly covering the distance of 24 miles in 91 minutes. The passengers were overwhelmed. Many of them lost their sense of reasoning. The booking counter was located at Armenian ghat on the eastern bank of Hooghly river, opposite Howrah station. The railway passengers were ferried to Howrah station. The train fare was inclusive of the charge for river crossing. This practice was discontinued in 1886 when the pontoon bridge on the Hooghly river was constructed. There was a Portuguese orphanage between Howrah station and the adjacent ferry ghat. Its remains were seen during excavation of foundation for construction of the annexe of Howrah station building during nineties
R. Macdonald Stephenson (son of George Stephenson, pioneer of steam locomotive) who was the Managing Director of the East Indian Railway issued a notification from his office at 29, Theatre road, Calcutta that trains between Howrah and Hooghly will stop at Bally, Srirampur and Chandannagar and run to the following timetable:
Howrah departure—10.30 hrs and 17.30 hrs
Hooghly departure—08.30 hrs and 15.38 hrs
George Turnbull was the first Chief Engineer of the East Indian Railway from 1850 to 1863.To him goes the honour of construction of 500 miles of rail line from Howrah to Benaras (via Jamalpur and Patna) including branches. It was an engineering feat considering that it also involved construction of important bridges on the rivers Kiul, Sone and Ganga. The eminent engineer tops the incumbency board of the Chief Engineer, East Indian Railway /Eastern railway headquarters at Calcutta which was shifted to its present location at the Fairlie Place in 1879.
A few years back a plaque was erected in the concourse of Howrah station to commemorate the historic event that took place exactly 93 years before our first Independence Day.
The Historical Development of the Indian Railways--The first stage of development of Indian Railway is classified as an ‘Early guarantee system’. During this period of 15 years the government guaranteed a minimum Rate of Return (4 to 5 percent) to the shareholders in order to attract private enterprises to construct railways but retained the right to purchase these railways after 25 years or 50 years. Eight rail companies were formed, and 4000 miles of railway lines were built. Realizing the financial burden of such an arrangement the Government decided to implement new projects by itself. New lines cost 30 percent less than the company lines, but the company lines had higher returns than the State lines. During the period 1882-1900 famine and war drained government finances and stoked demand for bigger railway investment as well. The government decided to call back private investors. This time the guaranteed return was lower at 3.5 percent and the State and the companies decided to share profit. By 1900 the railway track covered over 24000 miles. However, the administration split between companies, the British government states, native states and foreign governments, presenting a chaos. The Railway Board was established in 1905 and the Railway Finance separated from the General Finance in 1924. Following partition of the country in 1947 a division of railway lines and assets took place between India and Pakistan with India getting 34083 route miles of track. The year 1951 saw nationalization and regrouping of 42 railway systems into 6 zones which with further regroupings became 9 in 1966. It remained so till 2003 when 7 more zones were added making a total of 16.
The socio-economic fallouts of Railways
Standardization of time- Before introduction of the railways people relied on the local time displayed by clocks installed on public buildings and religious places. The existence of unsynchronized time was unsustainable and contravened the idea of running trains to timetable schedules. Such an anomalous situation was addressed by designing a ‘railway time’ in the railway’s control rooms and asking the stations and the cabins to set their clocks in accordance with it on a daily basis. The communication was through telegraph. This practice was done away with only when telephone and radio appeared on the scene. In India where the Railway came into being in 1853 there was no such problem, and the IST was adopted in the Railway timetable straightaway.
Emergence of ‘suburb’- This enabled the people to live away from their workplace. They could have their breakfast at home, proceed to the workplace and after performing duty return to home to take dinner. It relieved the congested area and developed a sparsely developed area. But such a change in living culture generated an immense suburban traffic as thousands of passengers counted upon short distance, cheap, fast and reliable suburban services to commute between their place of employment and home at tolerable discomfort. In the following years the railway would be embittered over the spurt in suburban traffic because it called for acquisition of resources and their intensive utilization for dealing traffic on weekdays during morning and evening peak hours only, that too at a low price.
Ironing out social prejudices- The railway was instrumental in doing away with social isolation specially in India riddled with rigid caste hierarchy .Passengers belonging to different social strata sat side by side in the train forgetting their social status.
Industrial growth-It was promoted due to (a)transport of raw materials to the factories and power houses and speedy distribution of the finished products (b)mobility of labour.
Reduction in price disparity--Price stabilization of the commodities could be possible due to the mobility of the products through the railway.
Unification of the country.
Beguiling the playwrights, dramatists and film producers- The trains and railway stations were getting regarded as chance meeting places for acquaintances and unknowns as well as for committing felony. This enamoured the enthusiasts to weave plots for literary works and films.
Evolution of Signalling--In the earlier years hand signals were practised as for road traffic to regulate the speed and frequency of the trains. As the stations became busier and more complex the hand signals were replaced by flag signals or oil lamps. Fixed signals of various descriptions then appeared on the scene. However movable signals viz hand signal flags and hand signal lamps (oil lit/battery operated) have been retained on the Indian railways.
Three well known colours are used today in isolation or in combination on a signal post to convey different meanings to the driver. The common combinations are:
Two aspect---red and yellow
Three aspect-Green, yellow and red
Four aspect---yellow, Green, Yellow, Red
These colours give the train driver the following basic message:
Two yellows- ----Attention
Single Yellow----Proceed cautiously . Danger signal ahead.
Green-- -----------Proceed at maximum permissible speed.
Red-----------------Danger. STOP
Semaphore signalling- It was the earliest and most widely used form of mechanical signalling. In this fixed railway signal a pivoted Semaphore arm is mounted on a post or a gantry. Indication is given to the train driver by changing the angle of inclination of the arm either by lowering in the lower quadrant or raising in the upper quadrant. The arm is fitted with two or three coloured lenses illuminated from behind with oil lamp or electric lamp. . The movement of the arm causes the lenses to change position in front of the lamp and duplicate the indication during night. To facilitate the lampman to lit the oil lamps and the engineers to maintain the signalling gears ,ladders are provided on the signal post and gantry. Sadly semaphore signals are being phased out in favour of colour light signals. They may survive on heritage lines operated by the railway preservationists . However we would miss the sight of the latticed signal post, the lampman ascending the ladder, the red coloured rectangular arm, the yellow coloured fishtailed arm which not only embellished the landscape but also provided clue to an approaching train.
Colour Light signalling–.It is safer and more effective than Semaphore signalling because of its simplicity, light weight, ease of installation, far greater penetrability during night & in obscure conditions such as fog, smoke & twilight and reliability of indication. It has no moving part, and is virtually maintenance free. As and when a section gets electrified the Semaphore signals are replaced by colour light signals as visibility of the semaphore arm is impaired by the masts and overhead wires. Even the telegraph posts and wires, to which we were accustomed since our childhood days, are replaced by underground cables to avoid the effect of induction by high-tension overhead wires. As regards construction of new lines colour light signals are obvious choice. Who knows someday even the lineside signals may be replaced by cab signalling in which signal aspects are displayed inside cab of the locomotive.
Temporary signals--Contrary to fixed signals described above temporary signals are also in use on the Indian Railways at locations of renewal/repairs to track, bridge & signalling gear. They are erected on posts and lit during night by hand signal lamps.
These are fish-tailed ‘Caution board’ warning the driver of a train of a speed restriction ahead, the triangular ‘speed board ‘specifying the restricted speed, the circular ‘Termination board’ to denote end of speed restriction zone. It is only after crossing of this board by the brake van that the guard signals resumption of speed. A ‘Stop dead & proceed’ board is provided at construction sites warranting severe speed restriction. There is also a whistle board which is provided at approach of the level crossings.
Braking system--Earlier stopping of the train was achieved through application of hand brakes provided on the first coach and the last coach. The staff on the front brake van on getting a call from the driver applied the brakes simultaneously but the action of the guard on the rear depended upon his perception of the situation. In consequence thereof the application of brakes was rough and bumpy. This resulted in injury to the occupants. In many cases the train stopped out of platform adding to the agony of the passengers. In the goods train the guard had to move from wagon to wagon to apply hand brakes. In this process he did not know what he was jumping at. Gradually the train pipe was developed to actuate the brake gear of all the vehicles simultaneously through destruction of vacuum. Since the pressure applied on the wheels by the brake shoes was limited by the atmospheric pressure in case of vacuum brakes, modern coaches are equipped with air brakes to provide more effective braking. Even the shoe braking is replaced by disc braking for high-speed coaches. Introduction of passenger amenities in the trains- During the period 1890-1910 new passenger amenities such as toilets, lamps illuminating the gap between the coach floor/footboard and the platform and illuminating the inside of the coaches were progressively introduced. My Father told me that during the 1920s-40s kerosene lamps were used for inside lighting of the coaches. For the trains calling at important stations after evening hour the Rly staff used to lower such lamps from the rooftop in the slot. Similarly, for the trains arriving at the station after morning hours the lamps would be removed. On the Indian Railways fans and lights were mandated for all the compartments of all the classes of passenger accommodation in 1952. Sleeping accommodation was introduced in August 1955. The acclaim for introduction of toilets in the trains should go to a wronged passenger Sri Okhil Chandra Sen who in 1909 wrote a letter in grief to the railway official at Sahebganj complaining against the guard for not allowing him another 5 minutes time while he was easing himself at the station. The letter has been preserved at the National Rail Museum, Delhi. The historic trains: Imperial Indian Mail-It was the most prestigious and luxurious train during the British Raj for white sahebs & their families sailing from Southampton in the United Kingdom and arriving at Ballard Pier Mole of the Bombay port in 13 days. The passengers, all holding first class tickets, directly boarded the train waiting across the jetty for a 40 hours journey to Howrah (Via Allahabad & Gaya). Those destined for Rangoon proceeded to Otrum ghat from Howrah station for boarding the ship. Punjab Mail- It was the fastest train in the undivided India running between Bombay Ballard Pier Mole and Peshawar. Frontier Mail-The train from Bombay and passing through Baroda, Delhi, Lahore went up to Peshawar taking the travellers deep to the edge of the British empire. It was introduced between the same origin & destination of Bombay and Peshawar at a subsequent date as a rival to Punjab Mail. It was a frustrating moment for the friends of railways when the station Ballard Pier Mole ,which harboured prestigious trains viz the Imperial Indian Mail, the Punjab Mail and the Frontier mail during British India, was closed in 1944. Had it endured today it would have supplemented the present Mumbai CST and would have been of enormous help to the rail users. Sadly there is no hope for its revival as the station complex has been reportedly usurped by roads. Grand Trunk Express- It ran between Manglore & Peshawar. However, it originated from Mangalore in the form of slip coaches and arrived Peshawar, after a couple of change-over, attached to the Frontier mail. Kalka Mail-It was the mechanism to move the Viceroy and the British civil servants from Calcutta to the summer capital of Shimla. Introduced as early as in 1866 in the name of East India Mail it carried the livery of 01UP/02 DN. To enable the VVIP & the VIPs to pull their road vehicles to their train coaches, carriageways were provided at the origin & destination stations. The cab road at Howrah station between the platforms 8 and 9 bears testimony to it. Kalka Mail is remembered for another historic event. NetaJi Subhash Chandra Bose had boarded this train at Gomoh junction for his mysterious and historical escape to the north-west on January 18, 1941. This station has been renamed as ‘NetaJi Subhash Chandra Bose Gomoh’ to honour the freedom fighter who set out from here on a long journey, never to return to his motherland.
Flying Ranee-Running between Bombay and Surat this was an immensely popular and heavily subscribed commuter train introduced in 1906. When the World War I broke out in 1914 the train was discontinued but reappeared again in 1937.With the outbreak of World War II the train was for the second time relegated to the stabling yard. After Independence the train was flagged off for the third time in 1950. Deccan Queen- It was introduced in 1930 following elimination of the Reversing station between Karjat and Lonawala near Monkey hill and electrification of the line between Bombay and Poona. The standard of comfort in this train was entirely colonial. Howrah-Delhi Express (11 UP/12 Down)-Introduced as early as in 1866 this was a premier express train for over a century connecting the two principal cities and accessing the passengers of important stations (Patna, Ara, Buxar, Mughalsarai, Allahabad, Kanpur) of the Main Line. I have a distinct memory of this train with its glass panelled air-conditioned coach and a distinct red-coloured RMS van. Unfortunately, this historic train was withdrawn from service from 1st July 2014. Howrah-Delhi Janta Express (39 UP /40 Down)-This train consisting entirely of III class coaches was introduced in anticipation of our Independence from 1st October 1946 between Patna Jn and Delhi and subsequently extended to run between Howrah and Delhi. Its journey also came to an end simultaneously with 11 UP/12 Down.
Many of them still run today but with changed trajectories.
The book stalls- It was an enigmatic English businessman who gave India its iconic book stalls that endure to this day. He perceived the demand of reading materials specially from the first class passengers and set up the first bookstall in the name of his friend A.H.Wheeler. Railway bookstalls over the years had introduced books to millions who would otherwise never visit a bookstall and read a book. They created mass readership for the books and magazines and were travel companions especially in long train journeys. With change of time there is a change in the outlook. While the upper-class passengers stuck to quality fictions, best-sellers & trendy books on surreal stories, a new class of readers from the General compartment emerged who purchased low-priced pulp fictions with outlandish titles and a kitschy cover art. Their journey time was spent on such books solving crime riddles or with stories about complex human relationships. The Wheeler book stall at Howrah station is provided with a plate which narrates its history. The stall was fabricated in England by interlocking of wooden panels without the usage of hinges and screws and shipped to India in 1905. It is now an item of railway heritage.
The Main Line -Construction of the Main Line passing through Patna, Ara and Buxar was completed between 1855 and 1862. This involved construction of one mile long rail-cum-road bridge over Sone river at Koelwar. In an uncharacteristic design where the railway line is carried on the upper deck .The platforms butt against the bridge with the result when a down train stops the engine stands on the bridge while the coaches occupy the platform. Kiul-Gaya line came into being in 1879.
Patna Jn-- In the beginning the present Patna Saheb station was called Patna as borne out by this surviving plaque.
It is only when Patna-Gaya line was constructed in 1900 that a station appeared at present Patna Jn. It was then called Bankipur Jn. This explains the abbreviated name of Patna Jn as PNBE. A siding was laid from this station with a pavilion in the Hardinge park (named Hardinge Park platform) in the honour of Viceroy Lord Hardinge who visited Patna in 1913 to lay the foundation stone of the Patna High Court & the Secretarial building. In 1932 Bankipur was renamed as Patna Jn. Perhaps at this stage or earlier the present Patna Saheb station was renamed as Patna City. Even after Independence when President Dr Rajendra Prasad visited Patna, his saloon was received on the Hardinge park platform. Somewhere in early ninety this historic structure was demolished to construct coaching terminal facilities. There used to be a Patna-Digha line for the convenience of passengers intending to catch the steamer for journey to north Bihar and those disembarking from the steamer for onward train journey. Over the years its importance diminished due to improvement in road services. The state government then eyed the land occupied by this line in the heart of the city, for construction of a road. A couple of years back the track was dismantled and the released railway land taken over by the state government. The Railway had planned construction of a suburban complex in the Hardinge park adjacent to the erstwhile VIP platform but it has yet to arouse interest in the State government. Despite surrender of the railway land released due to closure of Patna-Digha ghat line, taking over of the Hardinge Park land has been delayed.
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The Patna Saheb-Patna ghat line which served the mandis of the city is similarly destined to doom. Ideally the two terminals of Digha ghat and Patna ghat should have been connected by a rail link on the bank of Ganga to form, in conjunction with the Main Line, a circular railway for the Patna area thereby offloading the space bound Patna Jn station. But the opportunity has been missed never to return.
Patna in Scotland-A village by this name was established by a Scottish soldier & statesman William Fullarton who was born in Patna where his father was posted as an army officer in the British India Company. As a tribute to his birthland Fullarton
People of capital city of Bihar may not have any inkling of its name sake in Scotland thousands of miles away but everyone in this humble town is conscious of its Indian affinity. Until 1964 there was a Patna railway station in the town which has since been demolished. But the railway line serving the station remains to serve freight traffic.
The Grand Chord (Dhanbad- Gaya section)- It was opened on 6th December 1906 by Lord Minto, then Viceroy and Governor General of India with a function at Gujhandi .
Viceroy & Lady Minto travelled to Gaya, from where they travelled in a special observation car to Gujhandi. Two special trains, running from Howrah, carried the invitees. The Viceroy screwed on a silver bolt with a silver spanner to formally complete the line. A repeat of the historic event was organized by the East Central Railway on 6th December 2006, with a special heritage train' Grand Chord ki Rani', pulled by a 1965 steam engine, carrying the guests from Gaya to Gujhandi. A Centenary plaque was erected at Gujhandi station to commemorate the function held a century ago. The tragedy- While conducting footplate inspection on the UP Grand Chord in the Dhanbad-Gaya section of the E.C.Rly one cannot miss the sight of the commemorative memorials erected close to the track between Koderma and Gujhandi stations, in remembrance of the highest railway dignitary who met his unfortunate death at this location. The following inscription appears on one of them: “Opposite this stone Sir William Arthur Dring Q.I.E.V.D. Agent, East Indian Railway accidently met his death on 24th November 1912.”
The Agent after availing leave in England was proceeding from Mumbai to Calcutta to join his duty. In occupation of his saloon attached in the rear of the Mail train he fell down and lost his life. It is intriguing how the officer in occupation of his saloon attached to a Down train fell down on the UP GC side. Perhaps at the material time it was a single line section in the alignment of the present UP GC.
The cause of his death has been described by George Huddleston (Chief Superintendent, EIR) in his book ‘History of the East Indian Railway’. The Hindi translation of the extract from the book appears on the other memorial. The fatality has been attributed undoubtedly to the loss of balance arising out of a sudden lurch or bounce or a fleeting unconsciousness, while the Agent (General Manager) seated on the railing of his saloon was sipping morning tea. Taking tea in this fashion was fraught with uncertainty, yet he was habituated to it.
The exact cause of this tragedy will never be known. Yet the death of the Agent is beset with a poignant memory. The Bhor Ghat Reversing station- Construction of rail line through Karjat-Lonawala ghat section of the Bombay-Poona link was the most demanding rail project of the 19th century. Thousands of workforces met their tragic end executing this engineering marvel- many had written off as impossible. To overcome steep rise in short available distance a reversing station was provided in the Khandala hill. Opened on 21st April 1863, this remained operational till 1929 and then closed with realignment and electrification of the section. Elimination of this reversing station was made possible with charting of a new path which involved construction of a very long tunnel – an impossible task with the technical knowhow available 70 years ago. A marble plaque was provided at the portal of this tunnel opening at Khandala station commemorating the occasion of completion of the new alignment. It is unfortunate that no efforts were made to preserve the cabin, the water column, the turntable & the water tank of the defunct reversing station. Even the aforesaid marble plaque has been neglected and allowed to degenerate. The hills accommodating the two legs of the reversing mechanism were ruthlessly mutilated and disfigured to make rooms for the National Highway (seen at top ) and the Expressway (seen at lower level)
The Amrutanjan bridge constructed as a masonry arch bridge in 1830 for non-rail traffic was a key connector between Bombay and Poona. However It was destined to serve rail traffic from 18th April 1863. During construction of the Bombay-Poona rail line this bridge was designed to accommodate a spur communicating with the reversing station. After this station was eliminated in 1929 the bridge became defunct and derived its name from a massive advertisement hoarding of the famous Amrutanjan balm installed in the 1970s. The abandoned bridge structure remained an eyesore to the road authorities as one of its piers constricted the width of the Expressway which passed under it. The British Raj bridge was a heritage monument providing a characteristic profile to the hilly landscape. It deserved honour but in utter disregard of protests from the preservationists it was unceremoniously demolished on 5th April 2020. The Railway week- Over 100 years after the introduction of the first public railway and after nationalization, reorganization and introduction of the divisional system the IR started celebrating railway week between 10th and 16th April every year in remembrance of the first train on the Indian soil which ran on 16th April. The 65th Railway week was celebrated in the year 2020.