At present the state is paying particular attention towards improving surface connectivity in the remote Himalayan region. Work on Rishikesh – Karnprayag, Jammu – Baramulla and Bilaspur – Manali – Leh railway lines is on while feasibility of train connectivity to other areas, including Tanakpur – Bageshwar is being explored.
In this regard it is interesting to note that way back in 1889 blueprint of connecting Nainital by train was prepared after detailed survey of the area. This was to be an electricity powered 14 miles long 2.5 feet gauge train running over three lifts at a speed of 08 mph.
वर्तमान में सरकार के द्वारा सामरिक दृष्टि से महत्वपूर्ण हिमालयी क्षेत्र में सड़क के साथ – साथ रेल यातायात को सुदृढ़ करने पर विशेष ध्यान दिया जा रहा है: ऋषिकेश – कर्णप्रयाग, जम्मू – बारामुल्ला तथा बिलासपुर – मनाली – लेह पर काम चल रहा है और साथ ही टनकपुर – बागेश्वर सहित अन्य की सम्भावनाओं पर विचार किया जा रहा है। ऐसे में 19वी सदी के उत्तरार्ध में नैनीताल को रेल यातायात से जोड़ने के लिये 14 मील लम्बी 2.5 फीट की रेल लाइन की परिकल्पना पर पुनर्विचार करने में कोई बुराई नहीं है।
The proposed railway
Despite disastrous landslide of 1880, Nainital witnessed fast growth of population after the First War of Indian Independence. This warranted convenient, speedy and efficient means of transporting goods and passengers to the hill station from Kathgodam.
It was for facilitating access to Nainital that a proposal of mountain railway was submitted to the government in 1889 by Col. R.E. Thompson. The construction and execution was however not possible without government patronage, support, and grant of a number of concessions.
Despite there being a feasible plan and prolonged negotiations the government however did not agree to concede the sought concessions, and the proposal was finally abandoned in 1895.
The use of steam power, and rack system of construction were both considered for driving the railway or tramway as it was originally named. These were however found impracticable. It was therefore planned to drive the railway by electricity generated by water.
Aligned after detailed survey and field investigations the proposed 2.5 feet (0.8 meters) gauge track was to be about 14 miles (22.5 km) long. In addition, there were to be three lifts on the line, worked by water counter balance. Exact alignment of the line, and the position of the lifts were decided, and a detailed map was prepared.
Ordinarily the speed of the proposed train was to be 08 mph (12.9 km/h), except over the lifts, where it was to run at a speed of 04 mph (6.4 km/h). The minimum daily planned carrying capacity of the train was 50 tons of goods together with 30 upper class and 100 lower class passengers.
To a large extent the required hydropower was planned to be availed form the discharge of the Naini lake. The promoter however had another plan for utilising the waters of Bhimtal and Sat Tal lakes, if necessary.
Chitra Grant
Closely connected with the railway project was what was known as the Chirta Grant. Chirta was a forest area of about 04 sq mile (10.4 sq km) outside the Nainital and the proposed line was to run through its border when nearing Nainital. Col. Thomason constantly asserted Chirta Grant as being an inseparable component of the railway scheme.
There was no forest in that area and Col. Thomason perceived the place as being ideal for a combination of a British sanatorium with factories, without one injuring or interfering with the other.
Chirta however had no water supply. This fact was, however, an argument in favour of combining the two schemes. The lower lifts on the proposed line were planned to be located at places where water was absolutely wanting, so a long lead for the water to these points was unavoidable. All this however involved heavy expense.
Col. Thomason argued that if Chirta was granted good deal of this difficulty would vanish as large proportion of the cost could be made fairly chargeable – in the first instance to Chirta forests as protection against fire, and subsequently to the Chirta settlement for water-supply.
The vision of Col. Thomason was to develop Chira both as a settlement, and as a manufacturing centre. He compared the water-power, the railway, and Chirta to powder, shot and a capped gun, lying side by side, all perfectly useless until combined. Carrying the analogy still further he added that perpetuation of Chirta as a reserve forest when it could be developed as a charming settlement is like using the gun as a club.
Plan abandoned
Nainital Municipal Board passed a resolution in 1895 to the effect that it had no objection to the control of the outlet of the lake by the railway company, as proposed by Col. Thomason, subject to certain safeguards.
The Government however could not find enough reasons of granting all the concessions proposed by the Company.
The scheme was thus abandoned in 1895.
It’s hard to believe but then they could visualise all this at that time with constraints of technology and resources.
Hope the ones busy taking trains to the hills are aware of all these efforts?
How authentic is all this? What really is the source of all this?
Very nice blog
Enlightened to know that the people at that juncture thought of ways of making the venture economically viable. We need to build upon such ideas to make our ventures viable and sustainable.