Shakuntala Railway

Shakuntala Railway was a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge railway line between Yavatmal and Achalpur in Maharashtra in central India.

Shakuntala Railway
Overview
OwnerCentral Provinces Railway Company
LocaleMaharashtra, India
TerminiYavatmal
Achalpur
Service
Operator(s)Central Railway
History
Opened1903
Closed2016
Technical
Line length189 km (117 mi)
Track gauge2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
Route map
76
 Achalpur 
Sapan River
72
 Nowbagh
65
 Chamak
63
 Khusta Buzurg
59
 Pathrot
50
 Anjangaon
43
 Kapustalni
35
 Kokalda
30
 Lehgaon
Bhuleshwari River
22
 Banosa
SH 212
Purna River
12
 Lakhpuri
Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line
60
0
 Murtizapur Junction
Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line
2
 Murtazapur Town
NH 6
12
 Kinkhed
Uma River
19
 Vilegaon
24
 Bhadshivni
27
 Pohe
32
 Karania
33
 Karania Town
46
 Somthan
49
 Sangwi
Adan River
53
 Warudkhed
71
 Darwha Moti Bagh
83
 Tapona
88
 Ladkhed
93
 Ling
101
 Lasina
113
 Yavatmal

History

Killick, Nixon and Company, set up in 1857, created the Central Provinces Railway Company (CPRC) to act as its agents. The company built the 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge line in 1903.[1] The company built this narrow-gauge line in 1903 to carry cotton from cotton-rich interior areas of Vidarbha to the Murtajapur Junction on main broad gauge line to Mumbai from where it was shipped to Manchester in England. Murtajapur Junction was the focal point of this railway. In 1920 line from Darwha-Pusad was dismantled. Though, working autonomously, the CPRC was grouped in 1952 under the Central Railways.[1][2] A ZD-steam engine, built in 1921 in Manchester, pulled the train for more than 70 long years after being put in service in 1923. It was withdrawn on 15 April 1994, and replaced by a diesel engine.

Conversion to broad gauge

In 2016, Indian Railways announced that the Shakuntala Railway would be converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge.[3] The conversion to broad gauge started in 2020.

See also

References
  1. "British Company Still Gets Royalty For Shakuntala Railway". IndiaTV. 15 August 2011.
  2. Hardikar, Jaideep (26 November 2004). "A railway ride into history". BBC.
  3. Government to take over Shakuntala, only private railway line, convert to broad gauge
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