UP’s meter-gauge train is history now

For this meter-gauge train, it was the last journey on Saturday as the 130-year-old track was finally closed for conversion into broad gauge.

As the Century Express chugged out of the Aishbagh railway station in Lucknow on its last journey, emotions tumbled out at the platform.

The Aishbagh-Sitapur passenger train was given a warm send off by hundreds of passengers and onlookers who took thousands of selfies to preserve the memories of the train that had been a part of their lives for years.

North Eastern Railway (NER) PRO Alok Srivastava said the train was started in 1885 and all the 32 railway employees attached to the train in various capacities were present on its farewell journey and many of them were visibly emotional.

Though the state government has started new buses on the route to cope with the passenger rush, cargo transportation will continue to be a problem.

The train transported 10,000 litres of milk from Sitapur to Lucknow daily and transporting this in a bus will not be possible.

The Aishbagh-Sitapur-Mailani-Pilibhit section has been closed for gauge conversion and there would be no trains henceforth on the metre-gauge.

Ten other meter-gauge trains, including Rohillkhand Express, Nainital Express, Agra Fort, Aishbagh-Tinsukia, Aishbagh-Mailani and Aishbagh-Pilibhit passenger, will also cease to run on the track as a result of the gauge conversion.