ગુજરાતી
Ahmedabad, 30 September 2016
Railway in Saurashtra started from Wadhwan. Wadhwan railway station has been given the status of heritage railway station. The first train in Saurashtra ran from Wadhwan to Bhavnagar on 18 December 1880. There has been no demolition or change in structure here in the name of development; The station building, railway lines and even the woodwork date back to the 1880s and remain the same today. No modernization or renovation work has been done on these. This station is 146 years old.
Things like benches from the 1880s, bells signaling arrivals, old clocks and time-table displays are still in place. Although the railway telephone and telegraph systems no longer function, their equipment is present in the station premises, preserving the history of the 1880s at Wadhwan Railway Station. This information has been given by Bhawani Singh Mori, an expert on the history of Wadhwan.
Ten trains stop here.
Modern technology like CCTV cameras and many other facilities have been installed in the station.
Wadhwan is the railway gateway to Saurashtra. At that time, this area was known as ‘Kaap’ area of Surendranagar. The foundation of the first railway in Saurashtra was laid in Wadhwan, and the British built the first railway track connecting Viramgam to Surendranagar. Railway service between Wadhwan and Bhavnagar started in 1880, the first such service in the region.
The main objective of this track was to transport the cotton grown in Surendranagar to Viramgam by rail. In contrast, many types of grains were transported by train from Viramgam to Wadhwan. The decision to build the railway was actually made to facilitate the transportation of water during the drought of 1877.
Its foundation stone was laid by the then ruler of Bhavnagar, Takhatsinhji Gohil. The construction of the track connecting Bhavnagar to Wadhwan took three years and the line was completed in 1880. This was the first private railway track in Saurashtra.
The then Governor and his officials traveled in this train. During this period, the historic Wadhwan Railway Station was also built. This line was inaugurated by Sir James Ferguson, the Governor of Bombay, in the presence of Takhtsinhji.
Wadhwan was an important taluka headquarters and princely state. In 1952, the Wadhwan railway line was merged into the Western Railway network. It is surprising that even after 146 years this railway line is still operational. Trains also run on this.
When the railways first came, people used to go to worship with coconuts. Some people even considered the train as a divine incarnation. People believed that only some divine power could take so many people together. When the train arrived, many people broke coconuts and worshiped in front of the engine.
oldest railway station
The oldest surviving railway station in Gujarat is Vadodara Junction, built in 1861 during the British era. It was built by Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway. Its historical identity remains largely intact even today.
150 year old railway station
The history of railways in Gujarat began in 1855. The first train ran between Utran and Ankleshwar, marking the beginning of the construction of the railway line by the ‘Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway’ (BB&CI) company. Major historic railway stations in Gujarat that are more than 150 years old—that is, built in 1876 or earlier—include Ankleshwar and Utran (built between 1855 and 1860). Surat railway station was built in 1860.
It was the first railway station in Asia to have a platform on the first floor, above ground level.
Vadodara station was built by BB&CI Company in 1861.
Dabhoi and Miyagam-Karajan railway stations were built in 1862. Asia’s first narrow-gauge railway line was started between Dabhoi and Miyagam. Initially, the train was pulled by oxen; Later in 1863 the use of steam engines started.
Ahmedabad Railway Station (Kalupur) was built in 1863. The first train to Surat from Kalupur railway station was dispatched on January 20, 1863. Direct train service between Ahmedabad and Mumbai started in 1870.
Valsad railway station was built in 1864.
India’s oldest railway station
Royapuram station in Chennai was built in 1856 and is considered to be the oldest station building in existence in India. The oldest and still operational railway station in India is Howrah Junction in West Bengal, built in 1854. The original Bori Bunder station—now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai—began functioning in 1853.
