Last train passes through Dudhwa National Park
LUCKNOW : The colonial era rail route that passes through Dudhwa National Park, connecting Mailani in Lakhimpur district to Nanpara in Bahraich district, eventually saw its closure on Saturday.
The Mailani-Tikuniya (52258) passenger, which left Mailani station at 10:40 am on Saturday, was the last train on the route. This train used to travel between Mailani and Nanpara passing through Dudhwa.
On Friday, BJP Lok Sabha MP Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’ along with Monica Agnihotri, divisional railway manager (DRM), NE
Railway (NER), Lucknow division, had inaugurated a 61-km long broad gauge route that would now connect Mailani with Lakhimpur Kheri.
However, those who want to travel from Mailani to Bahraich would now have to go via Lakhimpur Kheri and Gonda. Mailani-Lucknow Junction (55061) was the first passenger train that was flagged off on the new route on
Saturday. “The old metre gauge route from Mailani to Nanpara via Dudhwa has been closed in accordance to the high court’s order. On February 14 the Mailani-Lakhimpur broad gauge section was inaugurated for commencement of train operations thus restoring the connectivity to Mailani on the main broad gauge route,” said Mahesh Gupta, public relation officer (PRO), NE Railway, Lucknow division.
Officials said the high court had ordered the closure of the old rail route in order to conserve wildlife and also to avert the frequent train accidents on this section where wild life is in abundance. “This rail section was very vulnerable to wild life as in last two decade more than 100 wild animals have lost their lives in train accidents on this route,” said Sanjay Pathak, director of Dudhwa National Park.
Initially, the NE Railway had planned to declare this route a heritage route and run a toy train on it in order to boost ecotourism in the forest area. But after the court’s order, the plan was shelved. Though the closure of the railway line is said to be a boon for the wild animals but at the same time, it would affect the population residing along the Nanpara-Mailani rail section for whom this section was no less than a lifeline.
LUCKNOW: It was around 10:40am when the Mailani-Tikunia, on Nanpara to Mailani route via Dudhwa National Park, chugged down the track one last time after NE Railways closed down this colonial era rail route from Mailani to Nanpara via Dudhwa following the high court’s order. SN Mourya (loco pilot) and Naresh Kumar Meena (assistant loco pilot) were at the helm of the train on the route on Saturday with 55 passengers on board.
The train operation was more or less the same but things were a little different for the people, who got nostalgic on the last ride. Passengers were seen capturing a piece of history in their smartphones, while a few paused and gazed at the old metre-gauge train as if they are bidding adieu to the train that was almost a part of their lives.
“It’s hard to believe that the train which we grew up seeing, travelled throughout our lives, will be seen no more . It is nostalgic but some transformations are for the better,” said a local, who boarded the train along with his family to enjoy the last ride.
Some locals said boarding the train reminded them of their childhood, when they used to accompany their parents while going to Bahraich. “In those days, trains used to be the only and cheapest way for us to commute. In the later part of my life, I fortunately got postings in the cities falling on the chhoti line (metre gauge) route. Hence, I continued to enjoy my travels on chhoti line,” another passenger, a government employee, said.
Some train passengers also said that the closure of the rail route would snap the connectivity between Mailani and Bahraich as it used to be the only mode of transport for the people.
Not only passengers but loco pilots and other railway officials were also nostalgic. . “This route was certainly a different one. On this route, encounters with wild animals used to be a common thing. We all had one experience or another to share. This is something which makes this route different from others,” a railway official said.