Train of yesteryears draws crowds to Palanpur

Palanpur, Gujarat, June 28 (UNI) Drawn by nostalgia, hundreds of people are flocking the railway station of this small North Gujarat town to see a more than 100-year-old train, which has been standing in the station for the past two weeks due to lack of space in the Ajmer workshop.

The metre gauge train fondly called, ''Sitaram Babu Ni Gadi'' after its guard Sitaram, had its first run in 1893, but had to call it a day on December 15 last year after gauge conversion work on the Palanpur-Samkhiali section was taken up.

''It feels good to see the train, as we know it will slowly slip into history,'' said Raju, a visitor, who just came to have a glance of the train.

However, some daily commuters complained that due to the train being stationed here, other trains get ''delayed routinely.'' But this claim was rubbished by Mr Babulal, the Station Superintendent, who said the bogies, which have been parked in a middle track, were not coming in the way of the regular trains.

''It was indeed a prudent decision to halt the bogies here. They have been kept on waiting as the workshop in Ajmer has no place to accommodate them,'' he said.

UNI XR-MMG MAZ HS KP1930