->Feroze Ahmad 2: /* Conversion to broad gauge */

2021-05-07T12:15:42Z

Conversion to broad gauge

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width = auto
| name = Satpura Railway
| color =
| logo =
| logo_width =
| image =
| image_width =
| caption =
| type =
| system = Steam/diesel
| status =
| locale = [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Maharashtra]]
| start =
| end =
| stations =
| routes =
| open = 1903
| close = 2015
| owner = [[Indian Railways]]
| operator = [[South East Central Railway zone|South East Central Railway]]
| character =
| depot =
| stock =
| linelength =
| tracklength =

| gauge = {{track gauge|2ft6in|lk=on}}
| minradius =
| racksystem =
| speed =
| elevation =
| website =
| map =
| map_state =
}}

'''Satpura Railway''' was a {{track gauge|2ft6in|lk=on}} [[narrow-gauge railway]] in the states of [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[Maharashtra]] in central India.

== History ==

After the [[Great Famine of 1876–78]] in central India, the [[Bengal Nagpur Railway]] began planning to open a low-cost railway track that would unite the region, allowing both access to the agricultural and mineral resources of the region, further safeguarding the inhabitants should another famine arise. [[Nainpur]] was the focal point of the network and was even bestowed with the prestige of being a divisional headquarters for some time.<ref name=bhandari>{{cite web| url = http://railwaysofraj.blogspot.in/2011/08/number-1-down-mail.html |title = Railways of the Raj |last= R.R.Bhandari| publisher= | access-date = 2012-12-10 }}</ref><ref name=vohra>{{cite web| url = http://irfca.org/apps/trip_reports/show/62 |title =Satpura NG Explorer |last= Vohra|first= Bharat| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 2012-12-10 }}</ref> The lines came up in the early years of the 20th century.
The first portion of the [[Gondia]]–Nainpur line was opened on 13 April 1903, Nainpur and [[Chhindwara]] were connected in 1904 and [[Jabalpur]] in 1905. The Chhindwara–[[Pench Kanhan Coalfield|Pench Coalfield]] line came up in 1906–07 and the Nainpur–[[Mandla]] Fort line in 1909.<ref name=nagpurdivision>{{cite web| url = http://www.secr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1312278598168-Tourist%20Places.pdf |title =Nagpur Division | publisher=South East Central Railway| access-date = 2012-11-10 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ser.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1|title=Major Events in the Formation of S.E. Railway|publisher=South Eastern Railway|access-date=2012-11-10|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401151628/http://www.ser.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0%2C1|archivedate=1 April 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The extensive network of {{track gauge|2ft6in}} gauge tracks measured just over 1,000 km.<ref name=vohra/><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/tales/lythgoe20.htm|title = India's Satpura Narrow Gauge Lines, 1981 |last= |first= | publisher=The International Steam Pages | access-date = 2012-12-10 }}</ref>

== Conversion to broad gauge ==
{{Jabalpur–Balaghat–Gondia line}}
The Satpura Railway is under conversion to {{track gauge|1676mm|allk=on}} [[broad gauge]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-27/nagpur/31421245_1_gauge-conversion-narrow-gauge-broad-gauge | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130212053227/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-27/nagpur/31421245_1_gauge-conversion-narrow-gauge-broad-gauge | url-status = dead | archive-date = 12 February 2013 |title = Funds crunch hits gauge conversion work|last= |first= |date=27 April 2012| work = [[The Times of India]] | access-date = 2012-12-10 }}</ref>

The section between Gondia and Balaghat was converted to broad gauge in 2005–2006 connecting Balaghat to India's national network for the first time. Work is underway to convert the Balaghat–Jabalpur section to broad gauge. The narrow-gauge trains running between Jabalpur and Balaghat were stopped in October 2015 and the track was closed for gauge conversion.<ref>[https://thewire.in/17445/the-end-of-a-much-loved-indian-railway-line/ The End Of A Much Loved Indian Railway Line]</ref> The gauge conversion is expected to be completed by 2018–2019. The 85 km broad-gauge track from Jabalpur to Ghunsore railway station was operational in September 2017 and the 28 km track from Ghunsore to Nainpur also has been operational since 2018. and the last work between Nainpur to Samnapur was gone on rapidly and expected to be operational in mid-2020 but due to [[COVID-19 pandemic]] it was delayed and also conversion into [[Electrification (rail)|Electrification]] for increasing average speed. After that, it was started on 8 March 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/mp/jabalpur/news/special-superfast-will-be-run-three-days-a-week-railway-minister-piyush-goyal-will-flag-off-12-coach-trains-in-a-virtual-program-128302127.html|title=Piyush Goyal will flag off 12 coach train on Jabalpur-Balaghat line during virtual program|date=8 March 2021|work=[[Dainik Bhaskar]] |access-date=2021-05-05}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Railways in Central India}}

[[Category:2 ft 6 in gauge railways in India]]
[[Category:Defunct railway companies of India]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Transport in Jabalpur]]

Satpura Railway - Revision history

->Feroze Ahmad 2: /* Conversion to broad gauge */