RailScapes
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In November 2017 I embarked on a two month long trip to India, the second part of the trip took me to the foggy plains of Uttar Pradesh to photograph the metre gauge lines there. Uttar Pradesh once had an extensive metre gauge network but in recent years has been reduced to a small cluster centered around Pilibhit Junction. At the time of my visit the only segments still open were Pilibhit to Mailani Junction, Pilibit to Shajantapur and Pilibhit to Bahraich. I only had 3 days here and it was not nearly enough to cover all of these lines. Unfortunately everything but Mailani to Bahraich was closed for gauge conversion this week.
For the first part of the full trip report click here: http://railscapestravel.com/2018/05/15/indias-last-metre-gauge-mainline/
Our trip started at Pilibhit Junction which until recently was a massive all MG junction, we got to the station just as the sun was rising and the sun burning through the fog made for some amazing atmosphere.
The first train to depart was the morning run to Shajantapur:
After firing off what would have been rolls of film in the old days we quickly boarded our train to Mailani, as we were the last aboard there were no window seats left but that was ok as my favorite spot on an Indian train is the open doorway!
The line is one of the last "Mainlines" left in the metre gauge system, most other remaining lines have always been secondary routes with slow speeds. Not the case here and as soon as we left the yard the driver ripped back the throttle of the ALCO YDM4 and we accelerate up to 70 kph into the fog. Pictures don't quite do that justice so here is a video of the journey.
As all express trains have been discontinued on the MG our train stopped at every station on the way, some just small halts with a single platform, others with the typical two loop line arrangement. Some stations were stuffed full of condemned coaches, the railways now has far more MG equipment then trains to run.
As often happens in India even now a photographer often draws a big crowd, which can be both amusing and somewhat annoying to work around.
The last stretch into Mailani passes through a protected wildlife reserve, part of the reason this cluster has lasted so long is the delay in getting permission from the forest department to upgrade the track to BG through these areas which are home to the endangered Bengal tigers, BG here will no doubt mean more animal deaths.
Mailani is now the terminus of the MG line as the line further on to Lucknow is undergoing gauge conversion. The once vast Mailani yard is now in disarray with most of the tracks ripped out out. Various interesting equipment including a steam crane has been brought here as it is expect MG will survive here atleast another few years.
For more from Mailani click here: http://railscapestravel.com/2018/05/20/mailani-junction-last-redoubt-of-the-ner-metre-gauge/
I will finish the report soon with the photos from the trip up the Mailani to Bahraich segment.
Hope you all enjoyed the photos,
- Nikos
For the first part of the full trip report click here: http://railscapestravel.com/2018/05/15/indias-last-metre-gauge-mainline/
Our trip started at Pilibhit Junction which until recently was a massive all MG junction, we got to the station just as the sun was rising and the sun burning through the fog made for some amazing atmosphere.
The first train to depart was the morning run to Shajantapur:
After firing off what would have been rolls of film in the old days we quickly boarded our train to Mailani, as we were the last aboard there were no window seats left but that was ok as my favorite spot on an Indian train is the open doorway!
The line is one of the last "Mainlines" left in the metre gauge system, most other remaining lines have always been secondary routes with slow speeds. Not the case here and as soon as we left the yard the driver ripped back the throttle of the ALCO YDM4 and we accelerate up to 70 kph into the fog. Pictures don't quite do that justice so here is a video of the journey.
As all express trains have been discontinued on the MG our train stopped at every station on the way, some just small halts with a single platform, others with the typical two loop line arrangement. Some stations were stuffed full of condemned coaches, the railways now has far more MG equipment then trains to run.
As often happens in India even now a photographer often draws a big crowd, which can be both amusing and somewhat annoying to work around.
The last stretch into Mailani passes through a protected wildlife reserve, part of the reason this cluster has lasted so long is the delay in getting permission from the forest department to upgrade the track to BG through these areas which are home to the endangered Bengal tigers, BG here will no doubt mean more animal deaths.
Mailani is now the terminus of the MG line as the line further on to Lucknow is undergoing gauge conversion. The once vast Mailani yard is now in disarray with most of the tracks ripped out out. Various interesting equipment including a steam crane has been brought here as it is expect MG will survive here atleast another few years.
For more from Mailani click here: http://railscapestravel.com/2018/05/20/mailani-junction-last-redoubt-of-the-ner-metre-gauge/
I will finish the report soon with the photos from the trip up the Mailani to Bahraich segment.
Hope you all enjoyed the photos,
- Nikos
