The Toy Train’s final act - Demise of the Satpura Railway

In 1913, the Satpura line was the largest narrow gauge railway network in India. These narrow gauge lines were introduced in the adjoining Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra areas, mainly with a view to transport agricultural produce and famine relief.

The train soon proved to be a boon for the villagers. With its arrival, both Nagpur and Jabalpur were connected with the district of Chhindwara, with additional links going all the way to Nagbhir and Chanda Fort.

At the time of independence, in 1947, Nagpur and Vadodara covered 1,650 km (of the total 5,198 km) of the narrow gauge track that existed in the country.

Uni-gauge has spelt the death knell for both these networks, as a result of which the major narrow gauge lines on the plains are now broad gauge.

Train services on the Satpura Lines have been progressively phased out, with the Railways keen on introducing broad gauge. Among the last to be struck off the roll was the Nagpur-Chhindwara Passenger, which saw its very last service on 30 November, 2015.

The only service yet in operation is between Nagpur and Nagbhir - a tiny remnant of a complex rail network that was powered entirely by steam in its heydays.

A time-table hangs from the ceiling of the roof at the railway platform. Written in Hindi and English, the time-table shows which trains will arrive and depart at what time.

The narrow gauge trains here belong to the South East Central Zone of the Indian Railways, but the operating staff is from the Central Railway.

The South East Central Railway only looks after the maintenance of locomotives, carriages and signals.

Even the land here, on which the railway is built, belongs to the Central Railway.

Hundreds of tiny villages and the people who live there relied entirely on this train. Shopkeepers and merchants from the villages made weekly trips to Nagpur to re-order their stocks.

The Railway was much more than a mode of transport – it was a lifeline for them.

There is just one service in operation, which may be likely to shut down at any time.

For people living close to the line, there will be no respite until the broad gauge track to Chhindwara and other towns is in place.

Till such time as the full-sized railway arrives, these passengers will find themselves on their own, abandoned.