Whether it is the stations resembling bungalows or brick-and-stone bridges over rivers, remnants of the over 150-year-old railway network continue to dot the landscape of the State.
Just before Nanjangud town, as the modern locomotive crosses the Kabini river, commuters can catch a glimpse of one of the country’s oldest bridges — a 280-year-old road-cum-rail bridge that used to see steam locomotives more than a century ago. Now, as a modern steel bridge goes parallel to it, the red brick-and-mortar bridge lies abandoned with little preservation work done. “This was earlier a metre gauge bridge connecting Mysuru to Chamarajanagar. The bridge is entirely built of brick, sand and stone,” said Krishnaprasad, an infrastructure specialist and keen observer of Railways heritage. The last train that went past the Gothic-style bridge was in 2007; since then, shrubs and decay have taken over.
It isn’t just the Kabini bridge that has slipped through the net of time. More than 100 bridges in the State, apart from numerous railway stations and administrative buildings, remain neglected as the Railways grapples with how to handle the “heritage” sites within its fold.
While Kabini bridge finds a place in the 25 heritage bridges listed by the Indian Railways, the rest of them — including the 213-year-old Wellesley bridge at Srirangapatna and the 114-year-old Nethavati bridge near Mangaluru — are ignored.
On the importance of preserving these bridges, R.R Bhandari, author of Indian Railways, Glorious 150 Years , said the architecture of these engineering marvels remains unparalleled . “Some of the viaducts remind us of early works as the Roman aqueducts, but on the whole they represent a new architectural form unconnected with local traditions,” he told The Hindu .
Pankaj Modi, technical coordinator for Indian National Trust for Art and Culture Heritage, Bengaluru chapter, says little work has been done to preserve heritage bridges and other structures under the Railways.
It isn’t just the bridges that are heritage remnants. Stations such as Nandi Halt on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Champion Reef at Kolar Gold Fields, or even the busy Cantonment Railway Station have a history extending back a century or so.
“Cantonment has wide arches and rhythmically colonnaded corridors. The colonial principles of harmony, symmetry and balance can be observed here,” said Namita R., an architect. However, now it is a mishmash of the modern and the old, with the latter being drowned out.
Siddharth Raja, a resident of Nandi Hills, said the station there remains in a pitiable condition. “It is necessary that there be a blend of the old and the new. The heritage structures need to be preserved. It is sad that the authorities aren’t paying any attention to them,” he said.
No policy for preservation
With funds remaining a problem, the Railways is hoping for corporates to chip in to help revive and preserve its heritage structures.
“We plan to tap funds through participation of private parties and the creation of a Railway Heritage Fund, to which a certain amount of money is contributed by the Railways itself. The fund has been kept open for donations from private parties, individuals and agencies,” said Manu Goel, director of Railway Heritage, which looks after historical assets of the Railways.
Mr. Goel said the buildings are constantly graded according to the guidelines put forth by INTACH. “This is a new activity for the Railways and we are forming a team that can work in collaboration with INTACH and UNESCO... Since most of the heritage stations are still operating, we also need to look at the financial returns,” he said.
The plan, however, remains in the conceptual stage as so far, no company or private institution has come forward to help. What is more, the Railways’ attempts to get corporates on board have not seen good results in the past.
For instance, it was earlier planned that the 280-year-old Nanjangud bridge would be converted into a “restaurant on wheels”. Two coaches were even kept there, but the idea was dropped because of poor response. “Such projects come under corporate social responsibility and these do not constitute the core activity of the Railways,” said E. Vijaya, PRO, South Western Railway.
However, until this fructifies, the Railways has no policy or means to preserve its heritage sites and structures. “There exists no policy of preserving the bridges. Though the bridges have been identified, our main aim is to run trains. If the bridges cannot be used, they will be abandoned,” said Lakshman Singh, chief engineer of bridges, SWR, Hubballi division.
