First DMU from Atal’s Bateshwar on Dec 24

ALLAHABAD: Bateshwar, the ancestral village of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will be on railway map with diesel multiple unit (DMU) train.
Bateshwar lies on the newly connected railway line between Agra and Etawah via Fatehabad and Bah. Minister of state for railways Manoj Sinha will inaugurate the DMU train on December 24. The birthday of Vajpayee is celebrated on December 25.
The new railway line is about 112.71 kms long and the total cost is Rs 450 crores. It has 13 stations including Bhandai, Uri, Karudha Halt, Bateshwar Halt, Dhibri Halt, Manikpura, Bhadrauli, Jaitpur Halt, Man Singh Pura Halt, Jaitpura Halt and other places. The route has 89 minor bridges, four major bridges and two railway overbridges (ROBs). It has 40 level crossings. Goods trains run on this route but no passenger train has passed till date.
The new railway line is also an alternative to the route of Agra and Etawah via Tundla. After the inauguration of the new DMU train, many trains will run on this new route and will also lessen the burden on the already overcrowded route of Etawah-Tundla-Agra. NCR spokesman Bijay Kumar said that a new DMU train will be run on the new railway line between Etawah and Agra via Bateshwar on December 24. “We are awaiting the final nod from the Railway Board. The inaugural run will be on December 24 from Bateshwar after which regular DMU service will start from Etawah to Agra.” Vajpayee was born in Bateshwar. He and his elder brother Prem were arrested here and spent 23 days in jail during Quit India Movement in August 1942. It was Vajpayee's dream to connect his ancestral village to a railway link passing through major cities. He announced this mega rail connecting project around 16 years back on April 16, 1999. Bateswar is a small village in Agra. It lies between Agra and Etawah. It is 5 km from Bah.
It is an important spiritual and cultural centre for Hindus and Jains. It is known for the 101 Shiv Temple Complex. An annual religious and animal fair is also organised in the village ground area. The name Bateshwar is derived from the main Bateshwarnath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (Bateshwarnath Mahadev). As per the mythology, under a banyan tree (Bat in Sanskrit) here, Lord Shiva took rest for some time under the tree. Hence, the place known as Bat-Ishwar or the banyan tree of the lord. In Mahabharat era, Bateshwar was known as Shouripur, a city of king Suresaine. It is known for 101 Shiv Temples built by Raja Badan Singh Bhadauria on a dam on the banks of Yamuna.
Minister of state for railways Manoj Sinha will inaugurate DMU train on December 24. The birthday of Vajpayee is celebrated on December 25