International Railroad Discussion > Progress

The road to the future lies before you. The old path will soon vanish into history.

Progress on the conversion of the Indian Railway meter gauge to broad gauge in December, 1995. It will spell the end for meter gauge steam.

Cheers,
Jack

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Is the 20th century IR gauge-conversion project on schedule or is it slipping like 21st century Am-projects?

Where in India was the photo taken?

-Eric

redoveryellow Wrote:
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> Where in India was the photo taken?
>
> -Eric

Eric, If my memory serves me correctly it was just ourside of Kalol Junction, which is approximately 20 miles north of Amedabad.

Cheers,
Jack

Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
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> Is the 20th century IR gauge-conversion project on
> schedule or is it slipping like 21st century
> Am-projects?

I was unable to determine a projected completion date for Project Unigauge but is is a massive project and it would not surprize me to leard that it has slipped.

Cheers,
Jack

I went through there on a day train from Jodhpur to Ahmedabad in 2014.  I remember seeing old bridge abutments, etc and finally realzed it has been converted over from MG to BG.  A lot of the feeder lines on that route are still MG.  Unfortunatley I didn't get the ride the MG train but maybe next time.

-Eric
 

I'll admit to never being there and at my age never going. India, IMHO, is the most rail dependent country in the world, since it is large and has no major barge waterways. There the rail competition is modern highways, of the multi-lane limited access type. Such roads can allow truck trailer capacity near the meter gauge axle limit, and buses are much faster for passengers. I think this is especially true in hilly or mountainous territories. New roads are straighter and faster than rail. I followed all of Chile's railroads, and the metre gauge railroad that used to connect the northern half of the country with it's 19th century mountain alignment in many locations has little chance of getting freight or passenger business from the modern highway that parallels it. That is why almost all of it is dormant, but still there mostly. FCAB in the north does enjoy private ownership and a strong mineral base of traffic and so far has survived on a few routes.

India has the advantage of a much greater population, but still the gauge related tonnage and speed restrictions would seem to me to make it very hard to compete with highways. The conversion of narrow to broad gauge might be logical, but how will it survive in hilly terrain? Survival of railroads versus highway requires a high volume traffic base, freight or passenger. And the right political climate, but you cannot mention that on T.O.