Narrow gauge trains entice these tourists

VADODARA: A mere blow of the whistle of a locomotive brings cheer to their faces and even at a ripe age, a marathon journey by road and train for nearly 12 hours that many of us may want to avoid does not tire them. This group of 30 tourists from Europe would go to any extent to get a glimpse of the rail history of the world.
In India, the group mostly comprising persons from United Kingdom, traversed right from the North East to Vadodara to see the few working narrow gauge railway lines in the country.The group travelled on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and ended its trip late on Wednesday evening at the Pratapnagar railway station here with a ride on the Jambusar-Pratapnagar narrow gauge train.
Peter Jordan, who coordinated the tour, said that for the members of the troupe, travelling on heritage trains around the world was a big hobby. "This time, we focused on the narrow gauge trains in India. While I have visited Vadodara earlier, for the others it was the first visit to the city," Jordan said.
Besides travelling on the narrow gauge trains from Dabhoi to Miyagam and then from Jambusar to Pratapnagar, the group visited the workshop at Pratapnagar where narrow gauge locomotives and coaches are maintained. The group also went to the museum at the Vadodara railway division headquarters that has a rich collection of items from 1861 when the first train arrived in the city.
Amit Chopra, an assistant director of a travel company that arranges such trips, said that many tourists came to see the railways just out of interest while some had their ancestors working with railways in the country. "While we travel to several destinations like Darjeeling, Shimla, Ooty and Matheran with groups to see heritage trains, Vadodara was included in the itinerary for the first time," he said.