The proposed ‘heritage railway museum’ in Baripada will soon captivate the imagination of people from all over Odisha and outside. The Indian Railways has initiated the work of the momentous project where restored locomotives of pre-Independence British era will showcase a century-old old history of Indian Railways.
South Eastern Railway, Kharagpur has undertaken the construction work of the project with an estimated cost of Rs 1.55 Crore. The initiative has been taken to recollect and preserve the glorious history of Indian Railways.
The railway history of Mayurbhanj dates back to 1904 when work on the Rupsa-Bangiriposi narrow gauge line was started by its erstwhile ruler Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo.
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“The then king Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo had brought three steam and diesel engines from England. Initially, a broad gauge line was laid from Rupsa to Baripada and then it was extended from from Bangiriposi to Talband,” said Pravin Bhanja Deo, the present King of the erstwhile royal family of Mayurbhanj.
Two narrow gauge steam engines, depicting the history of railways in the district, can be seen near Baripada railway station.
“The construction of the heritage railway museum is a matter of pride for people of Mayurbhanj, said Bibhudatta Dash, a lawyer.
Divisional Railway User's Consultative Committee (DRUCC) member Hemant Saha said that the project will depict the rich history and contribution of Mayurbhanj kingdom towards the development of railways in the area.
“New generation will be inspired and they would learn a lot from the heritage museum,” said Saha.
(Edited by Suryakant Jena)