East-West Metro works in Howrah: Remnants of ‘19th century Rly track’ unearthed

KOLKATA: A remnant of a railway track was found beside the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) office building in Howrah on Thursday during the works for the East-West Metro at Howrah Station.

It was found while the workers were dismantling the parcel shade behind the office of the Divisional Railway Manager of Howrah.

This discovery has led to a buzz amidst the railway circuit and it has also been reported to have dated back to 19th Century.

However, a proper determination on the historical aspect of it can only be specified after proper examination.

The first train in eastern India ran between Howrah and Hooghly in August 1854. At that time the station operated out of a building which stood at the now office of DRM Howrah.

The new station was completed between 1905 and 1911.

Before being shifted to the railway museum either behind the DRM office or the one at Fairlie Place, the track will be cleaned to check for any markings.

“It is a slice of invaluable history. We will either take it to the museum behind the DRM office in Howrah or another museum at Fairlie Place,” said Ekalabya Chakraborty, the spokesperson of Eastern Railways.

Sanjoy Mookerjee, retired Financial Commissioner of railways and author of multiple books on railway heritage, batted for a thorough check before coming to any conclusion about the age of the rail.

‘It is a slice of invaluable history. We will either take it to the museum behind the DRM office in Howrah or another museum at Fairlie Place,’ said an Eastern Railway official