The Forgotten Trains of India

The Gwalior Sheopur Kalan Passenger train, which runs on the longest remaining narrow gauge route in the world. The train takes more than 10 hours to cover 198km (123 miles). It is so behind its time that the Indian government tried to get it on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Sadly, it didn’t make the cut. The train it travels through the Chambal region of Central India, infamous for being a lawless and harsh landscape dotted with bandits, like the Wild West of India. It brought back memories of Bollywood-Spaghetti Western movies from the 80s and 90s. I knew I had to take it.

Unfortunately this train is part of the history now as Indian railway converting this track to broad gauge from narrow-gauge.

The full view of No. 52171 Gwalior Sheopur Kalan Passenger train.
Passengers board the Gwalior Sheopur Kalan Passenger train.
This gentleman was travelling with his entire family and insisted on occupying the top bunk all by himself.
Crossing the Kuno River on a low truss bridge. Regulars on the route lay flat on their backs to avoid hitting their heads on the crossbeams.
Anwar Khan drives the train for six hours from Gwalior. Then another driver takes over.
The train makes unscheduled stops in the middle of nowhere. Here, someone misused the emergency brakes to get off at a convenient spot.
The train regularly carries twice or three times its capacity.
Two passengers riding on the side of the train look on as they crosses an irrigation canal.
Passengers sit on every inch of space available inside the train coach.
The train travels through beautiful mustard fields, and crosses streams and scrub forests of the scenic Chambal landscape.
A daily passenger pets a cow at Sambalgarh station
Passengers dismount from the roof. Generally, the train stops for 3-5 minutes at each station.
Passengers on the rooftop stretch out their limbs while the train halts at a station.
The Gwalior to Sheopur Kalan Passenger train runs on diesel engines. After every return journey, the engine goes to Gwalior Rail yard for maintenance.