Trainman News

Modern Railways Transform India

Changeover to Progressive, Industrial Nation Is Being Aided by Huge RR System

By ARTHUR L. STEAD
London Correspondent

Railways have strikingly demonstrated their worth as agencies of development and ordered progress in all corners of the globe. Nowhere, however, has the transformation effected by railway construction and operation been more apparent than in colorful India.

The railways of the Indian sub-continent stretch from Ceylon to Afghanistan, and Bombay to Calcutta, serving a population of about 350 million people of many races and creeds. Through the years, the railway has transformed bare Indian prairie and fever jungle into productive farm and pasture land, developed industries of all kinds, protected the population from pestilence and the attacks of hostile tribes, and generally enriched and nurtured this oriental land of many races.

As in a great many other corners of the globe, the great pioneer builder of the Indian railways bore the magic name of Stephenson. Actually, it was Robert Stephenson, son of George Stephenson, the "Father of Railways," who constructed India's first line--the Bombay-Tannah 24-mile route, opened April 16, 1853. Out of this pioneer railway there grew the 40,000-mile rail network today serving every part of the sub-continent.

Most of the construction and operating employees of the early Indian railways were British, assisted by armies of native laborers. By degrees, however, Indians of different races were encouraged to take up responsible tasks on the line, and today there are only a sprinkling of British railway officers in the country, Indian and Anglo-Indian employees occupying positions of every kind from general manager downwards. Unlike the U. S. railways, India favors a broad-gauge for its tracks. At the outset, the dimension of 5 feet 6 inches was decided upon because of the possible danger from cyclones. This danger proved unfounded, but the 5 feet 6 inches track gauge remained standard throughout much of the land, except in the case of feeder lines which are either of meter or 2-feet 6-inches gauge.

If you look at your map of India, you will observe the railways fall roughly into three distinct groups, radiating fanwise from the cities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, respectively, with a long arm reaching out from the Bombay group in a north-westerly direction towards Afghanistan. The Ceylon Railways form a separate system, as do also the Burma lines, and so do not come within the scope of this article.

Among the most important Indian trunk systems are those between Calcutta and Bombay; Calcutta and Delhi; Delhi, Lahore and the North-west Frontier; Calcutta and Madras; Bombay and Madras; and Karachi and Lahore. The larger railway systems, once private undertakings but now state concerns, are North Western; Great Indian Peninsula; East Indian; Bombay, Baroda & Central India; South Indian, and Madras & Southern Mahratta.

Under the new division of India and Pakistan, certain adjustments have been made in the railway set-up, one of the biggest alterations being in the case of the North Western Railways; roughly half of which is located in India and half in Pakistan.

This north-western corner of the great sub-continent provides some outstanding monuments to the genius of the railway engineers, and the Khyber Pass system which forms part of the North Western Railway is undoubtedly one of the world's most remarkable lines. Although only 27 miles long, the Khyber Railway includes no fewer than 34 tunnels piercing the mountains. Originally planned as a strategic line, several of the Khyber stations are specially protected from attack from hostile tribesmen, with ticket offices built in solid stone and concrete of immense thickness and provided with machine-gun loopholes. Locomotive sheds and stores have similar protection.

Indian railway track and roadbed are efficiently laid and maintained. Trunk routes usually are rock-ballasted and the heavy steel rails rest on timber ties specially treated against attacks by wood-boring insects. For aiding maintenance, extensive use is made of mechanical appliances. Automatic and color-light signalling is common on the principal main-lines, and the Indian systems are proud of their fine safety record.

Steam locomotives in India are of many varying types, although in recent times a good deal of wise standardization has been introduced to simplify construction and maintenance. During World War II Indian locomotives were worked very hard and inevitably suffered accordingly. Because of the war, it was impossible to import engines in any numbers, as had previously been the practice, and when peace came along the Indian authorities began to set about developing a large central locomotive building plant of their own. This plant, under British guidance, is rapidly approaching completion.

In the meantime, two hundred "WP" type, 4-6-2 steam engines are being purchased from Canadian and United States' makers. These machines will replace the less powerful "Pacifics" in main-line service. With a driving wheel diameter of 67 inches and total weight of 224,230 pounds, the maximum tractive power of the locomotive is 30,590 pounds. Boiler pressure is 210 pounds, total heating surface (including super-heater) 3,000 sq. ft., grate area 46 sq. ft. and coal capacity 15 tons.

Crack passenger trains of the Indian lines compare very well indeed with those of the American systems, both as regards speed and passenger comfort. The "Imperial Indian Mail" train from Calcutta to Bombay, and the "Frontier Mail" from Bombay to Delhi, are typical express services. Another fine outfit is the "Delhi Mail," running between Calcutta and Delhi, on the East Indian line. This covers the 903 mile trip in 25 1/4 hours.

Big electrification works have been a feature on the Indian lines in recent years, particularly in and around the Port of Bombay--the "Gateway of India" --on the Great Indian Peninsula and Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railways. The Great Indian Peninsula electrification is especially important, covering all the Bombay suburban tracks and the trunk routes as far as Poona and Igatpuri, 182 route miles, all worked on the 1,500 volts direct current arrangement with overhead transmission. Large-wheeled electric locomotives haul the main-line trains, including those running over the difficult Ghat section of the Poona route, with its ruling grade of 1 to 37. Suburban working is on the familiar multiple-unit system, and because most of the Bombay workers now reside outside the city proper the suburban services are particularly dense.

Feeding the Indian trunk routes are many fascinating narrow-gauge systems, two of the most famous being the Kalka-Simla line, and the 1 ft. 11 1/2 in. Darjeeling-Himalayan route. The latter is notable as being one of the first railways in the world to utilize the Garratt type of articulated steam locomotive for train haulage. For many years, the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway has drawn interested visitors from all over the globe. With its summit 7,400 feet above sea level, this is the highest mountain line in the sub-continent, the climb of over 7,000 feet covering only a distance of about 50 miles. Further south, there is a fascinating narrow-gauge track railway known as the Nilgiri Branch of the South Indian Railway, serving the summer headquarters of the Madras Government.

India, of course, is far-famed for its architectural masterpieces, such as the milk-white Taj Mahal at Agra. In the building of their passenger stations, the Indian railways seem to have been inspired by these architectural gems of the past, and wonderfully beautiful stations have been erected at the principal centres. One station--the Great Indian Peninsula Victoria Terminus in Bombay, opened in 1897 and named after Britain's beloved Queen - Empress Victoria--claims to be "the most inspiring railway station in the world." It is a truly delightful structure, consisting of a huge domed mass of magnificently worked stone, decorated with point, column and statuary.

Although fast main-line travel in India makes a great appeal to the tourist, to really appreciate the Indian wonderland it is necessary to get away from the beaten track and journey into the interior over the many branch-lines that twine in and out through forest and mountain. Off the principal tourist routes, the voyager carries along with him his own bedding and other gear. Hours before the train is due to depart, servants gather together the traveler's mattress, blankets, cooking utensils and provisions, and these are loaded up --perhaps in an automobile, perhaps on a bullock-cart, perhaps on camel-back, or perhaps on the shining shoulders of a small army of coolies. In stately procession, the supplies are transported to the station and stored in the train.

Off the beaten track in India, as often as not you have only one other passenger joining in the use of your compartment. Arrived at the station, you enter the car, remove all superfluous clothing, dump down your grip to serve as back-rest, and stretch out at ease with a cigar or a novel. Your servant travels with you, and in the evening, after dinner, this invaluable assistant prepares your bed and sees to your iced drinks throughout the rest of the tropical night. In the morning, he wakes you with your early cup of tea, and all day long as the train wends its way through the parched countryside is ever on the alert to care for your comfort.

That is how railway travel works out off the beaten track in India. On the main-lines, there is not a great deal to distinguish an Indian express from a long-distance American train, except such minor differences as arise through local conditions, climate, etc.

When the railway first came to India, it was feared it might not be a success because of the caste system of Hindus and the purdah system of the women. Under the strict caste system the different Indian races do not mix when traveling, and women under the old strict purdah system did not mix with men-folk in public. However, while there were difficulties at the outset, by degrees the railway did much to break down these unfortunate barriers between the Indian peoples. Separate accommodation was in general provided for Hindus and Moslems on most trains, and bathing facilities were installed at many stations to meet the religious habits of the Hindus.

Nowadays, there is much more mixing of the different races in India, and this is all to the good. Especially welcome was the recent lifting of the old barriers which surrounded the so-styled "untouchable" class, and it is part of the policy of the new India to give equal freedom and equal treatment to men and women of all races within the nation. This, of course, simplifies immensely the task of the railways in handling passenger business.

On the freight side, the Indian railways are always busily employed, and in recent times big efforts have been made to step up India's industries. Normally, the Indian lines handle about 88 million tons of traffic annually, this on top of the 531 million passengers dealt with. The most modern equipment is used for freight handling, with large depots at the big cities and fine classification yards at strategic centers. Many freight cars are of high capacity and all-steel construction.

Whenever you journey in India, you have striking evidence of the splendid work performed by the railways in the development of this territory. With the setting up of the independent countries of India and Pakistan many intricate transport problems arose, but these have been tackled energetically and with sensible give-and-take, and in the new era the railways constitute a major factor making for progress within the sub-continent.