TRACKING HISTORY: A man photographing the Mysore-Chamarajanagar train as it moves out of Mysore station on Tuesday. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: The metre gauge service on the Mysore-Chamarajanagar section faded into history as the last service chugged out from the city railway station on Tuesday.

The train to Chamarajanagar pulled out of from platform No. 5 at 6.25 p.m. bringing down the curtains on one of the earliest rail services. The service was inaugurated by the Mysore Darbar more than a century ago thanks to an initiative by Nalwudi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

Decorated

The engine of the train was adorned with festoons and a portrait of Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, the last Maharaja of Mysore, and had a banner that read "Mysore-Nanjangud Town-Chamarajanagar Last Metre Gauge Passenger Before Closure of Section from January 17, 2007". Incidentally, the last steam engine in the State was also on the Mysore-Chamarajanagar section.

Engine drivers Subhash and Puttaswamy had the honour of manning the train and the guard was S.V. Premananda. The train will make its last run in the return direction from Chamarajanagar to Mysore following which the rake and engine will be retired from service and gauge conversion work will be taken up from Wednesday.

Sources said the rakes will be converted to scrap and those found serviceable may be shifted where metre gauge services are still popular, mostly in Tamil Nadu.

It was on December 1, 1891 that the Mysore-Nanjangud stretch was covered by the Railways. The cost of this 24-km line was Rs. 6.2 lakh and the line was extended to Nanjangud town on July 12, 1899.

Vigorous programme

According to official documents, the Mysore Darbar adopted a vigorous railway programme and the State Railway Construction Department was constituted in 1912. It was in October 1919 that the working and maintenance of the entire Bangalore-Mysore-Nanjangud line was taken over from the Madras Company by the State Railway Department.

By 1921, earthwork on the Nanjangud-Chamarajanagar section was taken up but was disbanded owing to financial problems. However, the work in 1923-24 as the District Board of Mysore was permitted to raise a debenture loan of Rs. 8 lakh and the line up to Chamarajanagar was completed and thrown open to traffic on August 27, 1926.

The Mysore-Chamarajanagar section has a route length of 61 km and also has the longest railway bridge in the district, constructed across the Kapila between Tandavpura and Nanjangud stations.

The Mysore division operated eight pairs of trains on the section to cater to daily commuters and pilgrims visiting the temple town of Nanjangud. According to official sources, about 8,500 passengers and 2,800 monthly season ticket-holders used to patronise the services. However, the Railways operated the services only as a social obligation despite running on a loss. With the shutting down of the Mysore-Chamarajanagar services, the State is left with a 98-km stretch of metre gauge service between Talaguppa and Shimoga Town.

The broad gauge conversion is expected to cost nearly Rs. 80 crore and the section is likely to be thrown open to traffic this year.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail