A heritage train chugs again in MP: Story of historic Patalpani-Kalakund line

Indian Express

4 days ago

After a temporary suspension of services due to drop in tourist footfall on the 155-years old Patalpani-Kalakund line, Western Railway resumed the operation of heritage trains last week.
The 9.5 km long Patalpani-Kalakund line, in the Dr Ambedkar Nagar (earlier Mhow)-Khandwa section in Madhya Pradesh, is considered to be one of the six heritage lines of the Indian Railways even though it still awaits official certification by the Railway Board.
It is a meter-gauge section which was preserved by the Indian Railways in 2018, since the line could not be converted to the broad gauge because of its difficult terrain. The first heritage train on the line set-off on December 25, 2018.
With an average speed of between 5 and 10 km/h, two trains traverse the scenic route, with its deep gorges, high embankments, tunnels, the Patalpani waterfall, and natural springs, each day.
History of the line
The need for a railway line in the area was recognised in the 19th century, with the establishment of the princely state of Indore, under the house of the Holkars, as a British protectorate in 1818.
Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar II, who reigned from 1844 to 1886, proposed the construction of a railway line from Indore to Khandwa, which would include the Patalpani-Kalakund section. In 1870, he offered a loan of Rs 100 lakhs for 101 years, and free land for the construction of a rail line to his capital city of Indore.
The project would be completed in 1878, and called the Holkar State Railways which, in 1881-82, was merged with the Rajputana-Malwa Railway. The railway station at Patalpani was the first to be constructed on the line, between 1874 and 1878.
The tracks were later extended all the way to Ajmer in Rajasthan and Akola in Maharashtra, from where the line connected with other railways. Together, they formed a formidable rail network in Central India, and provided connectivity to major cities like Delhi, Ajmer, Indore, and Ahmedabad.
The management of the line was taken over by the B.B & C.I company in 1885. Till Independence, the complete meter gauge network of Ratlam division was managed by the company.
Gauge conversion
In 2008, the Union Cabinet approved the gauge conversion for the 472.64 km Ratlam-Mhow-Khandwa-Akola railway line corridor to Broad Gauge. However, the BG work on the 9.5 km Patalpani-Kalakund section could not be taken because of geological factors. Later, Indian Railways decided to restore the stretch for the operation of heritage trains.
A senior official of the Western Railway said that the Ratlam to Patalpani section has been converted to the Broad Gauge. Since, the Patalpani-Kalakund section is restored as a meter-gauge line, a detour alignment was planned from Patalpani to Choral to Khandwa, which is in the final stage.
The 9.5 km meter gauge line consists of four tunnels (0.5 km approx.), 24 sharp curves (6.5 km), six major bridges and 35 minor bridges. Apart from the picturesque views, the line also has cultural and historical significance. The Patalpani station is named after Tantia Bhil, a revolutionary who waged an armed struggle against the British in the jungles of central India. And the region is famous for the sweet kalakand, a delicacy from which the station Kalakund derives its name.
The train consists of two AC Chair Car coaches and three Non-AC Chair Car coaches. The fare for one-way travel in the AC Chair Car is Rs 270 and in the Non-AC Chair Car is Rs 20 per person.