Shakuntala Railways: The One Train line in India that still belongs to the British
Indian Railway is the lifeline of India with its largest network. Every day, millions of passengers travel from one place to another using its facility. It has become an integral part of our life and now life without it is unimaginable.
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Even after knowing its importance, we are still unaware of its history. The Indian railways were nationalized in the year 1951 and currently we own the entire network, there is still one railways that is still not owned by India.
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When nationalization happened, this line was left, strangely and till now no one knows the reason of why this line was never de-privatized. During the British time, rail lines were owned by several individual firms and Shakuntala Railways was initiated in the year 1910 by a British firm named Killick- Nixon.
Unlike the train lines in India, this train line still uses a narrow gauge, but the most important fact is that the same British company still receives more than 1 crore rupees from the Indian Railway authorities for running a train on its track.
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The Shakuntala Express runs from the town of Yavatmal to Murtijapur passing through the amazing cotton growing areas of Achalpur, under Amravati division. The train covers the journey in about 4 hours and is the cheapest means of transport for the people of the region.
In the times when the trains run on the electric engines, Shakuntala Express runs through old steam engines. This railway network is named after the queen of Vidarbha, the eastern part of Maharashtra that comprises of Nagpur division and Amravati division and is the lifeline for the people of Yavatmal and Achalpur.
To take over officially and help in sustaining the legacy of this ancient Railway line, Union Minister Suresh Prabhu has approved an amount of 1,500 crore, where its narrow gauge line will be converted into a broad gauge.
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With rusty steam engines and ' Made in Liverpool' inscribed on it, Shakuntala Rilways will give you a ride down the memory lane.
