If you want to hitch a ride on the train that ferried Veer when he met Zaara before she crossed the border or the one that
Sultan raced against while training, now is your chance. The heritage steam train engine
Akbar, which has featured in various Bollywood films over the years, will soon be running from Gurugram to
Farukhnagar as part of Northern Railway’s plans to popularise heritage tourism in the region.
Farukhnagar is a suburb of Gurugram and is known for its heritage sites, including the Farukhnagar Fort. It is roughly an hour’s drive from the city and the Railways has been developing it as a heritage town. “On September 15, Farukhnagar will be inaugurated as a heritage railway station and the steam engine Akbar will run from Gurugram to Farukhnagar with eight passenger coaches every evening. People can buy tickets from the station for Rs10 per head on a first-come-first serve basis,” informs an official from the Gurugram Railway station. The engine will complete a two-hour round trip between the two stations every evening and return to Rewari Transport Museum for the night.
The engine has been used in a number of films, including '
Veer-Zaara', '
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', 'Gadar', '
Guru' and most recently, 'Sultan', where it shot to prominence courtesy a scene where
Salman Khan is seen racing against it.
Last year, the engine was derailed in a mishap when it ran driverless for several kilometres. Since then, it has been kept at the Rewari Junction and being restored. Railway officials hope that the allure of ‘star Akbar’ will draw people towards this ride.
The star engine, Akbar, in a scene from 'Sultan' where Salman Khan races against the train
