Steam Heritage Train flagged off to run on ring railway line

New Delhi, Apr 10 (UNI) Re-living the romance of Steam-run trains, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad today flagged off a Steam Heritage Train from Delhi Safdarjung station on Delhi Parikrama Sewa on the occasion of the 51st Annual Railway Week celebrations.

Minister of State for Railways Naran Bhai Rathwa, Railway Board Chairman J P Batra, Railway Board members, Northern Railway General Manager and various senior railway officials were present on the occasion.

Enthusiastically joining the camaraderie on this joyous trip was a team of nearly 100 Special Children from Palna and Janata Adarsh Andh Vidyalaya, Delhi.

The railway week is held each year to commemorate the first run of the railway on the Indian soil. This year, Northern Railway celebrated its 51st Annual Railway Week by organising the heritage trip of the Steam Train on the ring railway line.

The steam engine hauling the train belongs to the fleet of the Second World War IRS designed vintage. This broad-gauge locomotive was identified as WAP 7161 and weighed 102 tonnes. It was built at Chittranjan Locomotive Works, West Bengal. After retiring from active service, this engine was stationed at Haridwar. It was later restored by Charbagh Workshop at Lucknow.

This engine was now homed at Rewari Steam Centre. The accompanying Heritage Saloon had been on display at National Rail Museum, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi since 2002. It consisted of two large Sleeping rooms, a small dining room, a library, pantry, kitchen, two washrooms and four toilets besides inspection carriages.

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