Title - Meter gauge train has its last run

Abohar: With the flagging off of the 52408 Hanumangarh-Sadulpur passenger train by the Bikaner Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Shyam Sunder Gupta last night, the 85-year- long journey of the meter gauge train came to an end.Hundreds of commuters thronged Shereka and other railway stations till midnight to witness the gala event and garlanded the train staff besides the station masters.From today onwards, only goods trains will run on the meter gauge line for a few days to transport the material required for gauge conversion.Before boarding the 19224 Jammu Tawi-Ahmedabad express train, the DRM interacted with officials at the Hanumangarh railway station and asked them to develop it as an ideal station equipped with high class amenities. He also directed the engineering staff to speed up work on the Hanumangarh-Sriganganagar broad gauge conversion.The first meter gauge train on this section was introduced on August 1, 1923. With the completion of gauge conversion, express trains from Bathinda can also be run on this route.The DRM congratulated the loco pilot Ram Niwas and his assistant Vijay Kumar besides the guard RS Shekhawat before flagging off the meter gauge train. Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) LK Vyas, RPF senior commandant Kamaljot Brar, DeputyChief Engineer SR Sangwan were also present on the occasion.