Ride from Egmore to Tambaram by steam loco soon

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com 16.03.2018

Chennai: A few weeks from now, you can hop on to a heritage train for a ride from Egmore to Kodambakkam or Tambaram, which also doubles up as a trip down memory lane, since it will be hauled by EIR-21, the oldest working steam locomotive in the country.

Southern Railway is planning to launch the heritage train – with a capacity of one or two coaches, each housing around 20 passengers – just before the onset of the summer vacation. The steam loco is being refurbished at the Perambur loco workshop, said officials. The tickets are likely to be priced at around 750 and 600 for adults and children respectively, though it has not been finalised yet. SR has conducted seven heritage runs since 2010, but they were not open to members of the public.

This is part of a new initiative by Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani who has directed the zones to run heritage trains hauled by working steam locos. “The idea is to ensure that steam locos are kept in running condition and the Railways also is able to earn some revenue as there is a huge market among heritage enthusiasts,” said a senior official.

SR has already announced a package for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) between Mettupalayam and Coonoor on weekends, which includes a welcome kit, souvenirs and onboard refreshments. Similar arrangements are likely for the Chennai heritage run too.

Officials said the options discussed included running the train from Chennai Central to Anna Nagar, Chennai Egmore to Kodambakkam and Royapuram to Kodambakkam. Central, Egmore and Royapuram are heritage buildings themselves.

Rail fan and Chennai resident Sridhar Joshi said it was a fantastic idea. “This should have been mooted from the day the steam loco was phased out. Showcasing it like this is a display of pride for the railways,” he said. It would be a huge hit among senior citizens for the nostalgia factor and among the younger crowd which has never seen a steam loco in operation, he said.

Joshi suggested that SR should come out with a full-day package including the heritage train ride and a visit to the Chennai Rail Museum on New Avadi Road. 



HERITAGE RUN: The train during a run on January 26