Covering a 60km stretch from Budgam to Anantnag, the line is now ready and is expected to be operational any time soon. This is the first time a railway line is being constructed within the Kashmir valley, and needless to say, there is a lot of excitement
Excerpts:
Welcome to Kashmir’s newest passion. Forget the militants, forget the violence, forget even ‘azaadi’ for a brief moment. Come evening, and all roads lead to wherever the bogies of Kashmir’s first-ever railway train are parked for the day.
An interesting line in the article:
So enthusiastic are Kashmiris about the rail line that militants have refrained from attacking it directly.
Perhaps progress does bring with it a solution to other problems? I hope so.
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If the Indian Railways executes the latest plans on its desk, passengers on premier trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani will soon be able to access high-speed internet as well as audio and video entertainment facilities.
While a trial run for this is already underway in Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express, the Indian Railways has already set up its own high-tech V-SAT hub system in Delhi.
The Economic Times reports in this article:
Indian Railways have established its own state-of-the-art satellite-based V-SAT hub system in the capital, which is considered the best option for providing reliable connectivity for freight operation information system (FOIS) at remote locations where freight loading takes place.
It has already connected over 200 remote locations of FOIS and more stations are to be linked soon, said the official.
V-SAT system can be also be used for online reservation in running trains, train operation and maintenance activities.
V-SAT terminal will help in establishing communication at accident sites withing 20 minutes, said the official.
An interesting contrast can be seen in this bit of news on the Amtrak website, which introduces Amtrak passengers to wireless internet service while they wait for their trains in five key stations. While we do not intend to set US as a benchmark, comparisons are inevitable, and in this case we’ll be happy to say we’re one up!
Links Courtesy: Uday Arya
Image Courtesy: Indian Railways Fan Club
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
It has been difficult for us here at The Better India to continue to keep our spirits high during these times. The Mumbai tragedy has shaken our belief in a secure and progressive nation. And when we were just beginning to flounder in our faith of keeping this initiative alive, there appear sparks of hope in the form of people like V D Zhende, who did a great job of saving hundreds of lives during the CST station firing in Mumbai.
Mr. Zhende is a Railways timetable announcer at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Nimisha Srivastava writes about Zhende in this article at IBNLive:
VD Zhende says, "I heard a loud explosion and then I saw public running. So, we started announcing for the government railway police (GRP) and the railway protection force (RPF)."
However, the police for some reason did not appear on time.
“Only when public started coming with blood all over, I realised that there was some gunfight happening. So I started announcing that all passengers go out from platform 1 and not go towards the main line, recalls Zhende.
We thank people like Zhende and the numerous other unsung heroes who did their bit to save the lives of our countrymen.
Please click here to watch the video interview of Mr. Zhende.
Read the article here.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.This is no ordinary train journey. This is a train where the journey itself is the destination. A train that will carry 350 passengers in the age group of 18 to 25 on an 18-day trip from Delhi to Kanyakumari, and teach them lessons on Entrepreneurship and Leadership along the way. This is the Tata Jagriti Yatra.
Flagged off on the 24th December, the educational tour is currently making its way through several locations, exploring innovative initiatives, interacting with role models and getting insights into social entrepreneurship. Be it the dabbawalas in Mumbai, the ‘model village’ of Kuthambakkam in Chennai or Anand in Gujarat, the youths will get a sneak peek at what it takes to run a successful enterprise. Madhavi Rajadhyaksha reports in Times of India on the purpose of the ‘yatra’:
The whole purpose is to get the youth to connect with the genius of India and the focus is on enterprise-led development. Today, enterpreneurship and enterprise are no longer a luxury, but a necessity and we hope to spark interest in the youth,'' said Shashank Mani, an ex-IITian and one of the founders of the concept, adding that they hope to make this an annual feature.
The students will also enjoy an interesting itinerary that will give them the opportunity to pack maximum learning in their limited time.
Explaining that the format wasn't a classroom session but a see-and-learn experience, another organiser Raj Krishnamurthy offered an insight into their itinerary. "There will be conferences inside the train and stopovers to meet role models such as scientist R A Mashelkar (who formerly headed the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Dr M S Swaminathan who is known as the `father of the green revolution in India' and Ela Bhatt who founded SEWA,'' he said.
The final 350 were selected from nearly 10,000 applicants. Let us hope that many of them will be enthused to create successful social enterprises of their own.
Read the complete story here.
Image Courtesy: Tata Jagriti Yatra 2008 website
Subam stays in Agra, mostly with his aunt. One day, on his way home, he happened to lose some money. The fear of getting scolded made him run away from home. A team from SATHI found him loitering at the New Delhi railway station on 22nd August 2013, and tried to find out his whereabouts. Initially he was reluctant to provide the information, but with counseling and encouragement they were able to get the details and contact his family. Subam was also not interested in studying, but the advisers at SATHI convinced him to pursue his education sincerely, and he now wishes to become a Police Inspector.
Subam is just one of over 47,000 runaway children SATHI has rescued and reunited with their families so far. Mr. Pramod Kulkarni, an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and the founder of SATHI, was inspired by the work done by SNDT, Pune and he decided to look around the platforms in Raichur. Mr. Kulkarni found children, lost and withered; he was disturbed and didn’t just let it be. He dreamed of an environment safe and secure for these children, and thus was born SATHI, an abbreviation for “Society for Assistance to Children in Difficult Situations”.
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Mr. Kulkarni believes strongly that, “A child on the platform never grows up - he just ages. Longer the time that the child stays on platform, higher will he be at risk of abuse. Addictions, Sexual abuse, petty thefts and odd jobs become part of daily survival.” He also feels that there is no place like home for a child and thus the child should be placed at home as soon as possible. It was in the year 1992, with this thought, that he founded SATHI and worked in a concerted manner to reintegrate “runaway” children with their families.
With years of research and work in this field, he confidently says that,
90% of children who are found on platforms are children who ran away from their homes, in a moment of impulsiveness. There would have been a fight at home, or they would have been berated or the general environment was such that it led them to take this extreme step. Once, a child has run away, the child and the family both go through the emotional trauma. In fact, the child wants to go back, but neither has the courage nor the means.
SATHI resolved to take them back to where they belong. It believes that in a society like India where the familial bonds are so strong, children, irrespective of the challenges, seek to find the lost sense of identity and belongingness which lie only in their homes. SATHI has understood over the years that a runaway child first needs to openly discuss and share the concerns due to which he/she decided to flee. Counseling is necessary but it is not merely about talking to the child, it is about engaging the child using various techniques to support the child in his/her decision and the desire to go back to the family.
[caption id="attachment_11244" align="aligncenter" width="710"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Life on the railway platforms makes these kids get into all kinds of vices[/caption]
By the time, it was year 2001, there were 1000 children being sent back and reintegrated with their families. Mr Kulkarni did not stop after getting the child back home, his team at SATHI would regularly check on the well-being of the child. While all of this sounds like a happy ending, there are truths and dilemmas that SATHI has to deal with every day. There are children who come from very poor families, there are also some who come from an abused environment; in such cases the SATHI Team has to decide what is best for the child. There are instances when children have been sent to Government shelter homes instead of their own homes.
The entire effort of rescuing and rehabilitating the child does not end with reuniting the child with his family. SATHI team also makes 4 follow-up calls per child per year to ensure that the child is being looked after well, and is not facing any issues that might threaten flight once again. In addition to this, they have a month-long ‘home orientation programs’ that encourages habitual runaways and children addicted to the streets and bad habits to clean up their act, go back to their families if right for them, and focus on their studies.
[caption id="attachment_11246" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The kids rescued by SATHI at an orientation camp[/caption]
The efforts taken at SATHI to reach out to a large number of children, and the impact of these efforts, would have been limited if they had not actively involved and worked with various stakeholders, which include the railway authorities, Government homes, other NGOs and community members on the platforms and in villages. They have also expanded their operations to cover more railway stations, starting with Raichur in the first year, to Kanpur, Mughalsarai, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Ahamadabad, Pune, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Tirupati, Yeshwantpur, Bangalore and Hubli.
The entire life cycle of rehabilitating, counseling and finally sending the child back home incurs a cost. SATHI’s objective is to get each child across India placed in his/her own home and hence there have been multiple tie-ups with NGOs pan-India. The Government of Karnataka, Government of Maharashtra, Infosys Foundation, Sir Daraboji Trust are some of the major contributors to SATHI. Mr Kulkarni’s voice beams when he talks about his future plans. He says that there is so much and more to do in this area. He mentions that there are about 80,000 children found on platforms every year, and to get them proper shelter and care requires 25 crores annually.
[caption id="attachment_11247" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. A tearful reunion with the family. SATHI has found that 90% of the time the kids want to go back home[/caption]
From the time Mr. Kulkarni completed his masters in management, he has had a strong inclination towards the development sector. He talks fondly about the immense satisfaction that he gets each time a child is reunited with his/her family. What is most heartening is that thanks to the efforts of his and his team at SATHI, most of these children now have dreams of studying hard and becoming doctors, teachers, engineers and police officers. We hope that SATHI continues to enrich many more such dreams and help them blossom into reality.
Neha Dua is a graduate from St Stephen’s College, Delhi and completed her MBA degree from MDI, Gurgaon. She is currently working with a large Indian MNC bank. She is an avid reader, dance enthusiast and likes to write. Her personal blog can be accessed at: www.allexpressions.blogspot.com. In her pursuit to write beyond her personal experiences, she has volunteered to be a writer of happy and inspiring stories of The Better India.
From wi-fi enabled railway stations to outsourcing of cleaning staff, the Ministry of Railways has big plans to transform railway stations. Here are six steps proposed by the Ministry to make railway stations as clean as Airports and Five-Star Hotels. What do you think?
One thing we all complain about while travelling in India is cleanliness. Be it bus stands or railway stations, the condition is appalling. But with such a huge population and limited resources, is it really possible to make railway stations as clean as airports?
Well, the Ministry of Railways thinks it is. The current Railway Minister of India Suresh Prabhu has proposed a detailed plan to make these train stations more welcoming. Here is how the ministry plans to do it -
1. Officers to adopt one railway station each
[caption id="attachment_16934" align="aligncenter" width="1600"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Photo credit: Balablitz/Wikipedia.[/caption]
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu proposed an interesting solution by asking officials working in the Railway Department to adopt one railway station each in order to ensure proper cleanliness. Around 700 railway stations will be part of this programme where individual officers will adopt a station to take care of its cleaning and maintenance. The stations have been chosen according to the significant movement of the trains. We indeed look forward to seeing how the officials transform their stations.
2. Cleanliness of 50 major railway stations to be outsourced
[caption id="attachment_16930" align="aligncenter" width="858"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Photo Credits: Metasur/Wikipedia[/caption]
The increasing complaints about lack of cleanliness have made the Railways seek external help for the upkeep of its stations. The ministry will hire private agencies to keep the stations, platforms, parking areas, approach road, buildings and trains clean and hygienic.
The agency will also be responsible for garbage picking, segregation of waste, pest control and disinfection. The staff will be provided uniform and other necessary gear. Also, the current government staff will be reassigned to the locations where privatization has not been planned so there are more hands to help there.
The stations selected for integrated cleaning contract are-
Nasik Road, Solapur, Jalgaon, Howrah, Sealdah, Bhagalpur, Patna, Mughalsarai, Gaya, Vishakapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Puri, New Delhi, Delhi, Varanasi, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Allahabad, Kanpur, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Lucknow Jn, Kathgodam, Rangiya, New Bongaigaon, Kishanganj, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Chennai Central, Egmore, Trivandrum Central, Secunderabad, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Kharagpur, Tatanagar, Ranchi, Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Hospet, Vasco-Da-Gama, Belgaum, Mumbai Central Main, Bandra Terminus, Vadodara, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Kota.
3. Learning from five star hotels
[caption id="attachment_16933" align="aligncenter" width="640"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. A first class compartment of a train. Photo credit: Satyakibanerjee / Wikipedia.[/caption]
In order to get the desired results, the ministry has asked officials who are in charge of railway stations to visit well maintained public places like Airports, Hospitals and Five-Star hotels. Regular supervision will be done and each area will be attended by staff the entire day according to their shifts. The inspection will be very rigorous and will even check the foot marks of the passengers on the ground. Though some officials have second thoughts about such an extensive cleanliness drive which might not be feasible at places which sees lakhs of visitors every day, it will be interesting to see how the initiative pans out. CCTV cameras will be used to keep track of all the activities at the station.
4. Replacing and cleaning the flooring, walls, etc.
[caption id="attachment_16929" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Photo Credits: KALX999/Wikipedia[/caption]
The broken surfaces of the station will be replaced for easy cleaning. Steam cleaners would be used to remove stains from all smooth surfaces such as floors, walls, wash-basins, urinals etc. Bio-enzyme products will be used to kill odour in the urinals and on the tracks.
5. Enabling wi-fi
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
In a bid to create technology-friendly premises, the Railways has targeted to provide wi-fi facilities to 400 “A1” and “A” category railway stations. Bangalore station was the first to get wi-fi in the country. The ministry launched free wi-fi services in Delhi on December 4. The facility will be free of cost for the initial 30 minutes. After that you can buy browsing time through your credit card or through the Wi-fi desk at the station. The facility is provided by Rail Tel - a railways PSU providing telecom infrastructure. Mumbai will be the next city to avail this facility.
6. No eateries at the platform
[caption id="attachment_16932" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Photo credits: Abhishek727/ Wikipedia[/caption]
The food stalls create a huge amount of waste at railway stations. Hence, Prabhu has also proposed to ban cooking at the railway stations and shifting out of commercial stalls and eateries to keep the platform safe and clean. While this will certainly put a lot of small vendors out of n business and inconvenience passengers in terms of food options, it might be the need of the hour to bring things under control.
Read the entire press release by the ministry here. We look forward to the successful implementation of the plan and hope to see the stations as clean as airports and five star hotels!
Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).
The Indian Railways, which is considered to be the lifeline of the country, was once opposed by the father of the nation. Watch the interesting story behind the engineering marvel and how it came to be.
Incredible as it may sound, Mahatma Gandhi was not a big fan of the railways. He considered it to be a destructive influence on India.
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According to Gandhi, railways was used by the British to consolidate their grip on the country. He also believed that trains spread communicable diseases like bubonic plague as people in affected areas moved to other parts of the country. He even believed that railways sabotaged local self-sufficiency by helping businessmen transport food and other necessities from one region to another for profit.
Proposed in 1853 by Governor General Lord Dalhousie and introduced from Bombay to Thane, the Indian railways have traveled a long distance.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.It is one of the world's largest railway networks comprising over 1,15,000 km of track over 7,100 stations. In 2013–14, Indian Railways carried 8.425 billion passengers - that's over 23 million passengers everyday!
In this documentary by BBC, John Sergeant embarks on a 3,000 mile journey through the history India's rail network.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
He reveals how the Indian railways became a civil engineering triumph that played a crucial role when India became independent in 1947.
Among many other fascinating facts, Sergeant discovers why the construction of the Dufferin Bridge at Varanasi resulted in Victorian technology and ingenuity clashing with ancient religion.
Watch the video to learn all about it.
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A documentary by BBC Four.
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About the Author: Saurabh Pandey is an advertising & marketing professional based in Bangalore. Aside from his day job, he dabbles in English and Hindi writing. He is the co-founder of www.ingoodbooks.com. Saurabh has previously worked with First Energy, looking after its marketing and consumer-connect programmes.
Now you can access train schedules on Google Transit and plan your travel better. Here is all you need to know about this latest facility.Indian Railways has earned yet another feather in its cap with Google announcing the addition of Indian Railways schedules on Google Transit, a feature on Google Map, on Tuesday, May 13.
The Google Transit feature will help commuters plan their travel through their android or iOS based devices as well as desktops. In addition to this, public transport information of eight Indian cities will also be available on the app.
The new update will enable users to get access to information for 12,000 trains, as well as updated details for bus and metro routes from Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.
[caption id="attachment_23371" align="aligncenter" width="1984"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The facility will provide information of 12,000 train schedules.[/caption]
Photo: cropbot/Wikipedia
Google Maps, which earlier allowed users to get directions within the same city, has now expanded to inter-city directions through this service and has enabled commuters to plan their travel more efficiently.
You can access Google Transit from your smartphone or even your desktop through this website.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
All you need to do is enter your start and final destination locations, click “Get Direction” and choose "Public Transit". This will give you information on which metro, train, or bus options are available for your journey. Google Maps will then give you door-to-door directions to the destination with public transport options now available, apart from the earlier available car, bus and walking options. It also allows you to choose the time you would like to depart or arrive by.
"Google Transit is part of our effort to make Google Maps more comprehensive, accurate and useful for millions of people around the world who take buses, trains, metros or trams to their next destination," Google Maps director, program management, Suren Ruhela said.
Google Maps offers public transportation schedules for more than 1 million transit stops globally in 2,800 cities.
The search engine giant had recently announced a lane guidance feature which enabled users to get access to voice-enabled instructions notifying which lane they should stay in or move to. This feature is available in 20 cities in India.
Google has already collaborated with hundreds of public transit agencies to make their schedule information accessible to Google Maps users. We are sure this move will help millions in India get easier access to the Railway schedule.
Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).
While comfortably enjoying your way across railway tracks in India, ever wondered how far we have come since the first railway coach was manufactured? Here is a look at some of the fabulous coaches which have come our way through the Integral Coach Factory.The Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, got its name etched in history by rolling out its 50,000th coach and becoming the first rail coach manufacturing unit in the world to do so.
July 6th marked an important milestone for the manufacturing unit as Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the 50,000th coach via video conferencing from New Delhi.
“There have been many changes in terms of quality, interior design, speed, fuel consumption, noise reduction in the coach manufacturing technology since the first coach was manufactured here 60 years ago,” said the minister.
Since its inauguration on October 2, 1955, the ICF has been building awesome coaches with many innovative steps taken all the way, and close to 500 designs have been tried out. It produces close to 2,000 coaches per year. Some of the remarkable building blocks included making cushioned seats in general second class coaches, provision of laptop and cell phone charging points in passenger coaches, disabled friendly features, and a lot more.
From it first coach, to the latest milestone, here is a look at ICF's journey through some nostalgia-inducing pictures:
1. The first coach by the Integral Coach Factory.
Integral coach factory was established in 1952 and started production in 2 October 1955. The first items produced were third class shells for Southern Railway.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
The AC coach has reclining-type comfortable cushion seats for 73 passengers and is equipped with bio-toilets and vestibules for free movement of passengers between coaches.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
5. ICF also exports coaches to other countries including Thailand, Burma, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and more. This model placed in the Regional Rail Museum, Chennai, explains itself.
The next step from here is the plan to harness solar energy in the best way. As a trail for the same, Railways has rolled out a non-AC coach in the Rewari-Sitapur passenger train, which is lit by solar energy with the help of solar panels installed on the roof of the coach.
Here's to the manufacturing unit which has been working hard to make our train travels comfortable and enjoyable since the past 60 years. Remember to give them a thought the next time you set foot on an Indian railway coach.
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A man adopted a railway station in Mumbai and within a few months changed the way it looked. Here is how he made it possible.Visit King's Circle railway station in Mumbai and you'll be in for a surprise—spic-and-span corners, nicely painted walls, well-lit entrances, and beautiful plants!
For the first time ever in the country, Indian Railways gave the go-ahead to a non-profit venture, Die Hard Indian, to adopt a railway station and take charge of its beautification process.
[caption id="attachment_22039" align="aligncenter" width="1405"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The team started with picking the dirtiest spot and making it spic and span.[/caption]
The man behind the project is Gaurang Damani, an electrical engineer with a social conscience.
“I would file various complaints about the bad condition of the railway stations. One day, the Ministry approached me and asked me to take up this project. I was thrilled,” Damani says.
Damani started his ambitious project in December 2014, and the first thing he did was identify the dirtiest spot in King's Circle station. This was the first place that was cleaned before moving on to other areas in the station.
[caption id="attachment_22031" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Gaurang Damani (fifth from left) with volunteers.[/caption]
After every corner of the station had been cleaned, Damani moved on ensure that the space was well-lit — 29 bright lights were installed on foot overbridges. The next step was to beautify the station — a 100 saplings were planted in and around the area to provide some pleasant greenery. In order to prevent people from spitting on the walls, Damani got a few artists to do some beautiful wall paintings. Thanks to this initiative, spitting on the walls has come down by 99 percent.
Damani's team also pasted informational posters and banners at the station to spread awareness about cleanliness, safety and hygiene. They lifted debris and did overall cleaning of the platform, apart from fixing potholes and placing dustbins at various locations.
Over 550 volunteers from different organizations, schools and colleges showed up to extend their support to transform the station.
[caption id="attachment_22032" align="aligncenter" width="1240"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. They engaged youth in their activities who participated by painting the walls beautifully.[/caption]
“There was a lot to be done. But all the volunteers showed immense passion and dedication and the work is finished now. We have appointed a few people to keep a check on how the station is doing after the completion of the work and everything seems to be in place right now,” says Damani.
Die Hard Indian, Damani's NGO, has now taken on the responsibility of maintaining the work that was done at the station.
[caption id="attachment_22028" align="aligncenter" width="594"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The changes in the station are drastic and obvious.[/caption]
When Damani started working on this project, he faced various challenges too. The biggest hurdle was dealing with a non-cooperative public. The station is a busy place and keeping track of all the problems in different areas was difficult.
“People would steal the banners, posters and other things. We started putting chains on dustbins to prevent them being stolen,” he recalls.
As it was the Railway Ministry that had approached Damani for this project, there were no problems from the government's side and the mission was carried out smoothly.
[caption id="attachment_22029" align="aligncenter" width="762"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. They made sure that people stopped spitting at the walls and repainted the old, dirty spots.[/caption]
Thanks to Damani’s NGO and other organisations that managed to raise funds for the project, the station looks much cleaner, brighter and safer now. Damani will take care of the station for the next eight months, after which he is willing to continue his work if the ministry extends their permission.
If anyone wants to replicate Damani's model, he is ready to share his experiences and extend help. He is also looking forward to adopting more stations.
[caption id="attachment_22040" align="aligncenter" width="613"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The team has also planted beautiful sapling to make the platform look more lively.[/caption]
To know more about the efforts of Die Hard Indian and how this NGO made the beautification project such a huge success, contact Damani at damanig@diehardindian.com or check out the website.
Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).
Do you know everything about the next train you will catch? Or the next station you will visit? Here are 20 facts about the Indian Railways you might not be aware of.
Indian Railways - the lifeline of transport system in our country, is evidently a huge setup, and an organization with numerous branches. With a dedicated ministry and budget in its name, railways help large portions of the country's population in running their daily businesses successfully. However, there are a few things you probably don't know about our trains and how the entire system works. Read on, and maybe you can remember them; or simply be awed every-time you pass by something even remotely related to the railways.
1. Indian Railways is the largest railways network to be operated by a single government and is the world's third largest network with a total length of 127,760 kms.
The annual tally is 8421 million passengers on 9991 trains connecting 7,172 stations across the country. The number of daily passengers on the railways is said to be larger than the population of some countries. It also carries 1014.15 million tons of freight annually.
2. Indian Railways owned the longest railway platform in the world at Kharagpur with a length of 2,733 feet. Now, breaking the record, Gorakhpur station has recently taken its place with a span of 4,430 feet.
3. Two historical railway elements are included in the UNESCO' World Heritage site list - the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and the Indian Mountain Railways.
The Indian Mountain Railways includes three railways – the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, Nilgiri Mountain Railways and Kalka Shimla Railway. All three trains have been functional for some 100 years. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a classic fusion of Gothic art with Indian architecture.
The Maharajas' Express (begins in Delhi but the itinerary differs) and
The Deccan Odyssey (begins in Maharashtra but itinerary differs).
They are the pride of Indian Railways as they hold an eminent position among the luxury trains of the world. Palace on Wheels is the oldest one of them.
5. The Vivek Express (Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari) travels a distance of 4273 km, which is the longest run in the railways. The shortest run is taken by a few scheduled services between Nagpur and Ajni - a total of 3 kms.
6. Srirampur and Belapur are two different stations in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. They are both situated at the same point on the railway route, but are located on opposite sides of the track.
7 of them include - Broad Gauge (BG) line to Agra Cantt, BG line to Bharatpur, BG line to Alwar, BG line to Delhi, Metre Gauge (MG) line to Achnera, MG line to Vrindavan and MG line to Hathras.
8. The resonance frequency of the suspension for the coaches is kept as close as possible to 72 bpm or 1.2 Hz while designing.
The human body is most comfortable at 1.2 Hz frequency as it's one of the most fundamental frequencies of our bodies (normal heartbeat) - which is why people sleep soundly in trains.
9. The railways functions on an operating ratio of 94%, that is, it spends 94 paisa on every rupee that it earns.
The amount of Rs. 4 saved from every Rs. 100 earned is minuscule and the revenues of the railways have been suffering because of the negligible revision of prices.
10. The diamond crossing (dubbed so by railways themselves), in Nagpur, is one-of-its-kind, from where trains go East, West, North and South.
The bridge will be 1,315 meters long and will use up to 25,000 tonnes of steel. The idea was initially conceived in 2008 but the project was paused due to safety concerns. The work, however, began in 2010 and it is expected to be completed this year.
12. The longest tunnel in the country is Pir Panjal Railway tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir which is 11.25 kms long.
14. All the electric appliances (fans, lights) in rail coaches function at 110 volts instead of the Indian standard 220 volts. It is a very effective counter-measure against thieves!Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
15. The mascot for Indian Railways is Bholu, or Bholu the guard elephant, which was designed by National Institute of Design. It was unveiled on 16th April 2002.
It was built in 1855. After retiring in 1909, it was relaunched in 1997 and operates as a tourist train between Delhi and Alwar. It travels at a speed 40 km/h.
20. India has eight Railway Museums - in Delhi, Pune, Kanpur, Mysore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ghum and Tiruchirappalli. Out of these, the National Railway Museum in Delhi is the largest rail museum in Asia.
In the MY STORY section, we present some of the most compelling and pertinent stories and experiences shared with us by our readers. Do you have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com with "MY STORY" in the subject line.
Ramya has always romanticized Indian train travels. And this is why she's going to keep going back.The sun was pink and gold as it rose over the plains, getting bigger and bigger as the train sped through the fields. I was standing at the door of Trivandrum Mail, with the morning breeze on my face, watching the silhouettes of coconut trees lighten.
I've stood near the doors of countless trains, sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend or relative, and each time, it gives me a high that doesn't quite compare to any other.
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I have always romanticized Indian train travels. But nowadays, I constantly meet people who turn up their noses when I mention that I'd prefer trains, and the first thing they ask is how I can stand to use the loos (a valid question, at that). They think I'm crazy that I'd rather spend hours on a train than spend a similar amount of money on a quicker and 'more comfortable' mode of transport. I hasten to say that in this world's lack of time, I find taking a train almost luxurious - it is a true means of escape.
My love for trains might have begun when I was a kid; when we were taken once or twice every year to long-distance train journeys. Of course the window seat was a treat, and if you saw the engine turn while looking out of it, the purpose of the entire trip was served.
But the real affair began when I was in college and regularly travelled in the trains’ general compartment between Chennai and Bangalore. It was then that I started noticing people around me (unavoidable when you're shoulder to shoulder) and was fascinated by the insight into human behaviour that those train journeys provided.
My college had a railway track passing through the campus. For two years, my hostel room window overlooked the tracks, and my roommates and I soon knew which train to expect at what time, depending on the day of the week. We saw never-ending goods trains (the coaches of which I would count), blue-and-silver trains, red trains, trains with banian ads on them, and lone engines that chugged along. I think it was sometime around then that it actually hit me that there are so many people in India. Never once did we see a train with only a few people in it. They were always packed, with elbows sticking out of windows, people sitting and standing at the doors.
Sometimes, while walking to class, a train would pass by and I would catch someone’s eyes. I could not help but wonder about the stories of these people. So many stories must've passed us by; coal from Dhanbad, oil tankers, humble locals and powerful cross-country trains.
Travelling by sleeper class helps one understand the sights, smells and sounds of India and her people. Having open windows is a plus - looking out from behind a rain-stained A/C window doesn't quite do justice. I also find the lack of privacy on sleeper coaches part amusing, part endearing and part annoying.
A few years ago, exasperated with the unrelenting Great Indian Staring Habit, I took it upon myself to outstare fellow passengers, who would look away only momentarily before resuming the activity. There's no escape. You're forced into either making conversation or very consciously avoiding eye contact.
There is a bewildering variety of people on trains whom I keenly observe to collect material for my comics and writing. There's someone sprawled out with their luggage carelessly dumped all over the place, and then there are others periodically checking their chained bags under the seat. If there's an uncle talking loudly over the phone, there's a teenage girl whispering, clutching her bags.
Someone chucks food out of the window (something that makes my blood boil); someone else collects the trash and deposits it in the waste bin. There are tentative smiles that quickly grow into animated chats, there is the sharing of packed food, switching of berths and bonding over chai.
'Native' places are discussed, common ground is discovered, and everybody relaxes once the initial ice is broken.
Late comers usually enter with the 'Which station is this?' question, addressed to nobody in particular, and responded to by 4-5 people at least. In A/C compartments though, sometimes the curtains are closed and not much exchange takes place.
Being on a train somehow makes me get into long metaphysical conversations with myself - it gives me the time and mental space to think about where I'm going (figuratively).
It's a zen-like zone to be in.
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I once saw a lone farmer in the middle of an enormous field, with a little thatch roof and I suddenly wondered if that made him more Indian than I am. I feel a strong connection with India while I travel by train - perhaps because of the people I meet, the glimpses of seemingly impenetrable acres of land. Perhaps because of the station vendors selling food at the window.
Perhaps it's because of station names that surprise me every time I find one that I hadn't heard of before. Perhaps it's the impulsive and sudden kindness of strangers. Perhaps it's the rich landscape that ranges from dry deserts to lush green mountains. And perhaps it's also the reality check and the questions that come with witnessing beautiful fields lead into dirty, trash-strewn town outskirts.
I feel more grounded when I travel by train (I can't say the same about air travel). Of course there are problems, starting with booking the ticket to having to hurriedly alight with your luggage intact at a two-minute stop. Yes, there is much scope for improvement - a better website, cleaner loos (and a population that is more educated about hygiene), cleaner stations, safety measures, and a plethora of other things.
But the Indian Railways definitely has a charm of its own, one that I find irresistible. And I'm going to keep going back.
Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).
About the author: Ramya Sriram is a cartoonist and writer. She runs The Tap, where she tells stories visually and verbally.
The Asaf Jah dynasty ruled Hyderabad state from 1724 to 1948. The state had its own army, airline, telecommunications system, postal system, railway network, currency, and radio broadcasting service. In addition, the Nizams introduced the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway, and even a fire engine and fire tending vehicle.The Nizams of the Asaf Jah dynasty ruled Hyderabad state from 1724, right up to 1948, when the state finally joined the Indian Union. The Nizam-ul-Mulk, meaning Administrator of the Realm, was the title given to the monarch, who was generally called the Nizam. The erstwhile Hyderabad state is now divided between Andhra, Telangana, Karnataka, and the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.
Mir Qamar-ud-din-Siddiqi was the Viceroy of the Deccan under the Mughal Empire. After the death of Aurangzeb, he intermittently ruled the Deccan region.
In 1724, when the Mughal control collapsed, he declared himself independent, giving birth to a dynasty that prosperously ruled the people of the region.
In 1947, at the time of partition of India and Pakistan, all the little princely states in the country were given the option of either acceding to India or to Pakistan. At that point, Hyderabad was the largest princely state in the heart of India and the Nizam decided to remain independent.
“Hyderabad state was extremely prosperous during the reign of the Asaf Jah dynasty. With each of the seven Nizams doing his best to improve facilities for the people of the state, it was one of those regions where the people were happy with their monarchs. Hyderabad State had its own army, airline, telecommunications system, railway network, postal system, currency, and radio broadcasting service,” says Ms Anuradha Reddy, the INTACH convenor of Andhra and Telangana states.
A little after 1850, the British decided to set up the railways in India, not only to connect the various port cities to one another but also to ferry their army to various parts of the region, as and when the Indians revolted against them. The first train journey from Bombay to Thane took place in 1853, and after that the railway network only increased.
As the rail routes kept expanding, the British found it necessary to connect the port cities with the princely states, and that is when the first proposal for a railway link into the Nizam’s territory was sent to Nasir ad-Dowlah Fakhundah Ali, Asaf Jah IV. However, it was during the reign of Mahbub Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI that this link was realised. It was finally taken ahead and improved by Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII.
Though the initial proposal came from the British, the Nizams owned their own railway system in the state of Hyderabad, much to the dismay of the British Empire.
[caption id="attachment_34031" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. A locomotive at the Secunderabad Station (circa 1928)[/caption]
In 1873, the Nizam’s Guaranteed State Railway Company (NGSR) was set up in London, with a major share being held by the Nizam himself. The first railway line was built in 1874, between Secunderabad junction and Wadi. Over time, the NGSR built more and more rail lines and tried to connect every part of Hyderabad state by rail.
The Asaf Jahis surely thought ahead of their times. The railway network is one of the legacies that they left behind. The local MMTS (Multi-Modal Transport System) service today, which ferries passengers between the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, still uses these tracks and stations.
The seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Ali Jah VII, realised the importance of modern technology in fighting fire.
In his endeavour to improve various facilities in Hyderabad, he invested in the first fire engine, the Morris, built by John Morris and Sons Ltd. of Salford, Manchester, in 1914.
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Of the numerous fire engines built by this company, only two are still in existence. What the Nizam owned is now the prized possession of the National Rail Museum in New Delhi. It is still intact, with all the original parts, and in working condition. The other one is preserved by the Enfield and District Veteran Vehicle Trust, London; however, it had to have the tyres replaced in 1929.
“For many years after its purchase, the Morris fire engine was in active service in the Lallaguda Carriage and Wagon Workshops at Secundrabad. It was used to put out fires in railway equipment and also used by the Municipal Fire Station to subdue fires in various parts of the city,” adds Ms Anuradha Reddy.
John Morris is a 500 gallon water-cooled 4-cylinder motor fire engine of 80 HP make. It bears a gear box of 4 forward speeds and 1 reverse speed and the transmission consists of chain drive from gear box to each of the rear wheels separately. The fire engine can attain a top speed of 40 miles per hour and holds firefighting equipment that can deliver 500 gallons of water per minute.
John Morris is the only vehicle in the world fitted with the original Shrewsbury and Challinner solid tyres and still retains all the original parts.
[caption id="attachment_34027" align="aligncenter" width="636"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. 'John Morris' Fire Engine[/caption]
In 1942, when the first fire tender vehicle with a ladder was made, the Nizam was one of the first to purchase it. This fire tender vehicle was built by the Merry Weather & Sons Company, London. It was basically built to rescue people trapped in high rise buildings. The manually driven vehicle has a 50 foot high ladder, with two large detachable wheels.
“These two fire service vehicles owned by the Nizam became a part of the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway, and later the Nizam's State Railway, because only the railways had the infrastructure to maintain these vehicles,” continues Ms. Reddy.
In 1960, the fire engine was retired from active service and in 1975 it was chosen as a prized exhibit of the National Rail Museum. The vehicle is a regular feature at most vintage car rallies in New Delhi.
[caption id="attachment_34169" align="aligncenter" width="636"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Fire tender vehicle built by the Merry Weather & Sons Company, London[/caption]
The fire tender vehicle, which bears the registration number APT 847, was functional with the Fire and Emergency Service Department of the Andhra Pradesh government till 1988, when it had to be retired from active service. In 2009, it was donated to the Salarjung Museum and presently it is displayed right in front of the museum.
The Nizams did indeed leave behind a lot, for not only the people of the state of Hyderabad, but also for the people of India and the world to cherish.
Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).
About the author: Aparna Menon is a freelance writer, writing for various newspapers for the past 10 years. Her main fields of interest are wildlife, heritage and history. A keen traveler, she loves to read and write and does a lot of art work too.
Look beyond your desktop. Close your laptops. Glance around. And think: When was the last time you took a vacation? Or breathed the cool, crisp mountain air, to be precise? If it was ages ago, then it's time to pack and take one of these awesome mountain railways to reach some of the most picturesque destinations of India. Here's more. The British loved going for extended weekends and long summer vacations to Indian hill stations. As the British Empire began to spread to various parts of the sub-continent, not only did they establish their cantonments, but they also developed many hill resorts where they could go for breaks to beat the excruciating heat in the plains.
But why are we thinking about the vacations taken by the British today? It’s because the rail routes that they laid to reach these hill stations still exist. They function with the very same engines and carriages - and a trip to the hills by rail is a real treat, indeed. Here are the five amazing mountain rail routes which we can enjoy till date.
1. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
[caption id="attachment_33115" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The Darjeeling toy train, with the narrowest of the regular narrow guage rail tracks[/caption]
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was inaugurated in 1881. This 'toy train' covers a distance of 88 km in West Bengal from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling in seven-and-a-half hours. The train is not merely a source of delight, but it also represents engineering skills of the highest order.
“The scenery is very beautiful and going in and out of the mist, all though the trip, is good fun. The railway stations are really small. The road and the houses are built very close to the tracks and it is a treat to see people waving out from their windows,” says 14-year-old Aryan Ahuja who has visited Darjeeling once.
The route has 8 major bridges, 542 minor bridges and 177 unmanned level crossings. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which received the World Heritage Site status on Dec. 2, 1999, has the narrowest of the regular narrow gauges.
2. Nilgiri Mountain Railway
[caption id="attachment_33117" align="aligncenter" width="2048"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, cutting across the lush green hill side, with the engine at the back, pushing the train up the hills[/caption]
The first stretch of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam to Coonoor was opened to traffic in June 1899 and was extended up to Ooty in 1908. The main features of this meter gauge line are the unique rack rail system (between Kallar to Coonoor) and the equally unique and complicated steam locomotives.
The delightful little train covers a distance of 46 km from Mettupalayam to Ooty in four-and-a-half hours.
“The train ride is a real thrill as it twists and turns around the hills, passing through many tunnels, crossing bridges, traversing forests and tea plantations. The most interesting thing about this journey is that the engine is at the back pushing the carriages up the hills,” says Prahlad Menon who has been on the train a few years ago.
On July 15, 2005, UNESCO recognized Nilgiri Mountain Railway as a World Heritage Site.
The Kalka-Shimla Railway connects the residents of the plains to the summer capital of British India. Tourists rush to Shimla both in summer and winter seasons, either to beat the heat or to catch the snowflakes.
This railway line was opened to traffic on Nov. 9, 1903. The 101 tunnels on this route make the railway line an engineering masterpiece. The six-hour-long, 96 km journey on narrow gauge covers many arched bridges and several picturesque stations.
“Taking a journey on this route is the most economical way to get to Shimla. The train moves very slowly, giving one a unique opportunity to experience the majestic Himalayas and to admire the simple lifestyle of the hill folk. This is one train on which people generally stick their heads out of the windows or sit on the steps at the doorway, enjoying the fresh, misty air,” says Meghna Bhaskar, who has recently been on this train.
On July 7, 2008 the Kalka-Shimla Railway was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
The Matheran Light Railway, which connects Neral to Matheran , was opened to traffic in March 1907. Matheran means ‘the wooded head’ or the ‘jungle topped’. The only means to get to this peaceful hill station, which was discovered in 1850, is by a little train.
This narrow gauge line takes the sharpest curves when compared to any Indian hill railway line. The view along the journey is indeed breathtaking, and the 21 km ride is covered in two hours.
The Kangra Valley Railway is found in Himachal Pradesh. It was opened to traffic on April 1, 1929. This line starts at Pathankot and ends at Joginder Nagar, travelling on a narrow gauge for 9 hours and 20 minutes, covering 164 km.
There are only two tunnels on this stretch, which give tourists an opportunity to enjoy the mountains and valleys without any distraction. This railway line, which is famous for its 993 bridges, connects the state with its hydroelectric power house.
All the five mountain railways of India are around a hundred years old. They are still very well maintained and are a real treat for any tourist. It falls on us now to take a break from the hectic city life and enjoy a holiday in these hill stations.
Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).
About the author: Aparna Menon is a freelance writer, writing for various newspapers for the past 10 years. Her main fields of interest are wildlife, heritage and history. A keen traveler, she loves to read and write and does a lot of art work too.
We, as a country, take pride in the one mode of transportation that connects many far flung corners of India with one another. We love our railways. And to celebrate that collective love, here are some incredible pictures shot at the perfect moment by some great photographers, depicting the things we love to do on our train journeys.
"There's something about the sound of a train that's very romantic and nostalgic and hopeful." - Paul Simon.
There are many amongst us who can truly appreciate this saying – those of us who adore train journeys, enjoy them to the fullest, wait for the next trip, and collect beautiful experiences from the previous ones. Aren't train journey simply extraordinary! The landscapes you cross, the people you meet, the games you play and the stations you count; a train is undoubtedly the best place to be with yourself and declutter your thoughts, if you want to.
We Indians surely love our railways, and everything associated with it.
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With millions of people using the system every single day, it is a mode of transport which is closest to the heart of a common Indian citizen. We love it when our trains get upgraded, we celebrate when new features get added, and we follow every single news about our trains.
So, for a country that loves its railways, here are some amazing pictures depicting what we Indians do in our trains, at our stations, and during our journeys.
Close on the heels of the incident where the Ministry of Railways came to the rescue of a woman passenger who tweeted that she was feeling harassed on the train, here's another heart-warming incident that shows us we have a Railways with a Heart.
A passenger on the Yesvantpur-Bikaner train, Pankaj Jain, was travelling with his father who suffered from paralysis. Pankaj was taking him to Butati Dham where free treatment is offered. The closest stop to this was Merta Road.
The train stopped there for just 3-5 minutes, and Pankaj did not know how he would manage to alight from the train with his ailing father in that short span of time. He also needed wheelchair assistance.
“I called my friend, who is a doctor in Bengaluru, who suggested that I ask for help via twitter. I tweeted to the rail ministry on November 28 at around 6-7pm, asking for the train to be stopped for 10 minutes, for a wheelchair and for assistance in getting my father down at Merta Road,” Jain told HT.
His friend asked him to tweet to the railway authorities. And that's exactly what he did.
Pankaj was truly touched by the efforts of the proactive ministry and all the persons involved. He expressed his gratitude with a photo with his father and a tweet.
The Indian Railways — India's largest employer — has announced its latest round of recruitment.
The Railway Recruitment Board has issued a notice inviting applicants for 18,252 non-technical positions in different zonal railways and production units.
Detailed information will be provided on December 26, 2015 on the official website. The last date for submitting applications is January 25, 2016. Applications can only be submitted online.
The selection process will involve two parts: a written (online) exam and a proficiency test. The online exam will be held between March–May 2016.
Number of vacancies by position:
Commercial Apprentice (CA): 703
Traffic Apprentice (TA): 1645
Enquiry cum Reservation Clerk (ECRC):127
Goods Guard: 7591
Junior Accountant cum Amanuensis (Typist) (JAA):1205 Senior Clerk cum typist: 869
Assistant Station Master (ASM): 5942
Transport Assistant: 166
Senior Time Keeper: 04
And these are the Railway Boards that are recruiting:
The Mysuru Railway Station, which has the distinction of becoming the first visually challenged-friendly railway station in India, is in the news again.
India's first Braille-embedded train, which runs between Mysuru and Varanasi, will depart from the Mysuru Railway Station on Tuesday.
Mysuru-Varanasi Express(Train No.16229/16230) which chugs out today from Mysuru, will become 1st completely Braille-embedded Indian train.
The railway station had recently installed navigation maps in Braille to guide visually challenged people to reach platforms.
According to a report, all the bogies of train no. 16229 / 16230 Mysuru – Varanasi Express, which leaves Mysuru for Varanasi on Tuesdays and Thursdays, have been provided with metallic Braille signages inside the coaches. These indicate the location of alarm pull chains, toilets, emergency windows, and berth numbers, for the convenience of the visually challenged.
This initiative has been funded by Mysuru Member of Parliament Pratap Simha through his Member of Parliament Local Area Development Fund.
The South Western Railway wants to extend the facility to Mysuru-Talaguppa, Mysuru-Tirupati, Mysuru-Mayilatuthurai Express trains, before the end of March.
Divisional Railway Manager Rajkumar Lal told the New Indian Express, "I can see many of visually challenged people struggle and ask others for directions to ticket counters, platforms, railway coaches, and seats. It took Rs. 2 lakh and two months to get the train fitted with Braille signage by a Bengaluru-based company."
The Puri-Delhi Purushottam Express was the first train to have a Braille-embedded coach. However, the Mysuru-Varanasi Express is the first train in the country in which all coaches are Braille-embedded.
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Kishore Pratim Biswas used to live near a locomotive workshop in Kolkata when he was a child. It was very easy for one to spot steam locomotives every now and then, and as an enthusiastic 5-year-old kid, he loved to run out and watch them go. He would then come back home and sketch what he saw. A giant locomotive surrounded by steam – the aura of that picturesque scene attracted him tremendously, and inspires him even today. The firemen and drivers at the workshop became his friends, and they would usually gather around to look at his sketches. He remembers listening to their stories and trying to sketch all their emotions on a piece of paper.
Today, 42-year-old Kishore has his art studio in Mumbai and he is working on a series of paintings based on this memory. He calls the series the 'Nostalgia of Steam Locomotives'. He graduated in Fine Arts from Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata, spent a few years in his hometown, and then moved to Mumbai in 2009.
In spite of all the years that have passed, the nostalgia still lingers on. Have a look at these incredible sketches to understand his bond with locomotives.
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