130-year-old Century Express chugs into history

The Aishbagh-Sitapur passenger train running from Lucknow to Mailani via Sitapur, more fondly known as Century Express, received a warm send off from Lucknow station as hundreds of passengers and onlookers gathered to witness the train move into the pages of history. The 130-year-old British era metre-gauge track here is being closed for conversion into broad gauge.

“From today (Sunday), the Century Express will run no more,” said a young commuter while displaying a selfie he took for posterity when the train embarked on its last journey on Saturday evening.

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. The train was popular among local passengers, vendors and especially young couples.

These trains transported 10,000 litre milk from Sitapur to Lucknow every day. “It will be difficult to transport such a huge quantity everyday by bus,” said a vendor.

Aishbagh-Sitapur-Mailani-Pilibhit section has been closed for gauge conversion and there would be no trains henceforth on the metre gauge, the brainchild of Lord Mayo, the then Viceroy of India, based on calculations to allow four persons to sit abreast comfortably.

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

As everybody knew it was the last run of the metre-gauge train, they all cheered its last passengers at BKT Railway Station, which witnessed a historical moment.

Jostling crowds, some with baskets packed with fruits, especially watermelons which are a speciality of Bakshi Ka Talab (BKT), and others with balloons in perfect colour combinations and boxes of sweets were at the platform. It appeared as if a VIP was arriving.