UP: British era train to begin forest run after 40 years

LUCKNOW: An ‘angrezon ke zamane ki train’ which ran on the country’s first track laid in a forest for transportation of timber will soon start chugging in a unique experience for passengers.
Out of operations since the 1980s, the train on the jungle track in Maharajganj will resume its run after a hiatus of over 40 years.
Its route though, would be curtailed from the earlier 22.4km to about 15km between Ikma and Laxmipur. Its three coaches will ferry ecotourists and not be laden with wooden logs and instead of a steam engine, a diesel engine will power it.
CM Yogi Adityanath is keen to operate the vintage train to give eco-tourism a boost in eastern UP. A feasibility study to restart the train is complete and its report is expected next week.
DFO, Maharajganj forest division, Pushpa Kumar said, “Track renovation would start once we get the report.”
The plan to operate the abandoned train as a vintage service took shape in 2017. Since then, the government has received a few proposals from architects but it is the high cost of the project which has kept the government from going ahead.
Lying in a shed in Laxmipur, the British-era train was commissioned in 1924 on a track laid in 1922. It operated on a narrow gauge track of 0.625 metre, had 56 coaches and four engines. The train also had a saloon. Lucknow zoo has a coach and an engine of the train on display.
The track was the first in the country to be laid in a forest only for transportation of timber. A raised platform and a yard still exist at Ikma.
The forest department took possession of the train in 1978 but phased it out soon after. Now, railways has surveyed the track and found it fit for operation. At present though, the track is covered in grass. Once in operation, the train would pass through Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary in Laxmipur range.