Heritage narrow gauge track chugs into history

Lucknow: For 100 years, India’s only two-foot wide and 200km long narrow gauge railway line in the plains has been a vital mode of transport for thousands of villagers between Gwalior and Sheopur Kalan. But, the heritage track would soon be dismantled to build a broad gauge to cater to more passengers.
Set up by maharaja Madho Rao Scindia in 1893, the two-foot gauge line of Scindia State Railway (later rechristened as North Central Railway) connects over 200 villages between Gwalior and Sheopur Kalan.
The railway board has sanctioned the project and the toy train line will be replaced with broad gauge till Kota.
To preserve the heritage of the royal railway line, NCR zone general manager Rajiv Chaudhary will release an online documentary in Prayagraj this Independence Day .
“In 1893, Scindia started his two feet gauge line within palace ground at Gwalior, his capital city. From Gwalior, three branches to Sheopur Kalan (199km), Bhind (83Km) and Shivpuri (118 Km) were built by 1909 and an isolated Ujjain Agar section was also built by Maharaja in 1932 and was managed by one system (Gwalior light railway). In 1942, the title was changed to Scindia State Railway and in 1951 the ownership passed to central railway. Today, it’s part of Jhansi division of NCR,” said an official.
“Scindia State Railway or Gwalior light railway (GLR) is the only narrow gauge railway line of two feet in India, which has served a population in plains for about 100 years. A section of about a hundred miles has been spared and you can hear the little trains tooting impatiently and racing with auto-rickshaw and tongas as they run through crowded localities, their carriages crammed to capacity, stopping at little stations which themselves look no bigger than ordinary railway carriages,” he added.
Gwalior-Sheopur Kalan was opened from 1904 to 1909 and about 200km is covered in nearly 10 hours covering 28 stations. Eight trains are operated on the stretch daily.
“Considering the importance of the rail network for local residents, the railway had approved to convert the heritage narrow gauge to broad gauge, which will extend up to Kota,” said chief public relations officer, NCR, Ajit Kumar Singh.
PRO, Jhansi division, Manoj Singh, said, “The narrow gauge stretch between Gwalior and Sheopur Kalan will be dismantled for broad gauge.”
CPRO Ajit Kumar Singh said, “To preserve the heritage importance of the royal narrow gauge railway, NCR zone will release an online documentary on Independence day from Prayagraj by general manager Rajiv Chaudhary.”