BERHAMPUR: A regular broad gauge engine made its debut run on the newly constructed Gunupur-Naupada railway track on Sunday. This test run of the engine on the track seemed to be a homage to the erstwhile king of Paralakhemundi, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, whose birth anniversary was celebrated on Sunday. The erstwhile narrow gauge track between Gunupur and Naupada was the work of the former royal family of Paralakhemundi. This narrow gauge track was converted to broad gauge. On Sunday a team of engineers of the East Coast railways led by its chief administrative officer and chief engineer took part in the test run of the engine on this track.
The engine started from Naupada at around 10.30 am. It reached Paralakhemundi at around 1.30 pm. The railway official said they would now apply to the Railway Safety Commissioner for safety clearance of track so that passenger and goods trains could be run on the track.Around 109 years ago the erstwhile royal family of Paralakhemundi had formed ‘Parlakimedi Light Railway’ (PLR) to lay this two-foot six-inch gauge railway to connect the capital Paralakhemundi with Naupada.
The British government had sanctioned the project in 1898. It opened for traffic in 1900. This narrow gauge railway line was built at a cost of Rs. 700,000 . There were demands to convert the track to broad gauge after independence. Surveys were made for gauge conversion in 1950, 1964 and 1967. But the foundation stone for the Gunupur-Naupada gauge conversion work was laid at Naupada on Sept. 27, 2002.
From 2003, this railway track became a part of the East Coast Railways. The former narrow gauge track was totally closed for gauge conversion on June 9, 2004. People await for the day when passenger trains would again run on the historic track.
The engine started from Naupada at around 10.30 am. It reached Paralakhemundi at around 1.30 pm. The railway official said they would now apply to the Railway Safety Commissioner for safety clearance of track so that passenger and goods trains could be run on the track.Around 109 years ago the erstwhile royal family of Paralakhemundi had formed ‘Parlakimedi Light Railway’ (PLR) to lay this two-foot six-inch gauge railway to connect the capital Paralakhemundi with Naupada.
The British government had sanctioned the project in 1898. It opened for traffic in 1900. This narrow gauge railway line was built at a cost of Rs. 700,000 . There were demands to convert the track to broad gauge after independence. Surveys were made for gauge conversion in 1950, 1964 and 1967. But the foundation stone for the Gunupur-Naupada gauge conversion work was laid at Naupada on Sept. 27, 2002.
From 2003, this railway track became a part of the East Coast Railways. The former narrow gauge track was totally closed for gauge conversion on June 9, 2004. People await for the day when passenger trains would again run on the historic track.
Source: The Hindu
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