The story of Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) now South Eastern Railway

(SER) encapsulates a classic saga – the saga of growth and development in myriad ways – a saga of uninterrupted continuity from the late 19^th century till today. Though a late entrant, compared to the more illustrious leaders in the field, like the Great Indian Peninsular and East Indian Railway, BNR covered lost ground rapidly and emerged as a major railway system in British India by the turn of the 20^th century. It is indeed ironical that embryo of this railway’s genesis did not lie in Lord Dalhousie’s scheme of things when he envisaged a system of trunk lines to connect each presidency with its principal ports and the presidencies with each other in the mid 19^th century. Its fledgling inception dates back to 1882 when a 149-mile stretch of rail link was constructed in an obscure corner of Central India to combat famine. BNR took birth in 1887 to take over this scraggy line and convert it to broad gauge. What followed is history. Its founder members barely surmised its branching into so many dimensions and scaling so many new heights in such a short span of time. Today as the successor of BNR, SER has emerged as the largest freight carrier straddling across seven mineral rich states of the Indian union. Its present contribution to the freight traffic of Indian Railways is a whopping 40%. Be it its geographic spread or the traffic mix drawn around the major core streams like coal, iron and steel, fertilizers, cement etc., SER’s contribution to the Indian economy and industrial growth is unparalleled. Its role in promoting export can hardly be over emphasized serving as it does three major ports in the East Coast. It also held the unique privilege of managing the ports in their formative years.

S. E. Railway has a distinctive identity of its own among the comity of zonal railways. It ministers to all the major power houses spread across the length and breadth of the country and maintaining the supply chain of coal to steel and other core industries. The sobriquet that SER stands for Steel Enterprise Railway is indeed very apt. Its symbiotic relationship with the iron and steel industries dates back to 1908 when the rail line connecting the first integrated steel plant in India at Jamshedpur was established. Today, S.E. Railway enjoys the unique distinction of carrying 90% of steel traffic. It has been a remarkably healthy and resilient system that has withstood waves of recession and many other vicissitudes in its life and is evenly poised today to overhaul the freight-loading target of 175.5 million tonnes set for the current fiscal. In the process, it has not only evolved strategies for creating additional infrastructure to cope with the burgeoning traffic but also evolved innovative management and maintenance practices for optimal usage of its assets. In the emerging competitive milieu, SER is now geared to function as a complete logistics provider rather than a mere transporter.

Its passenger friendly approach is not to be relegated to the background. New trains, additional services, super fast specials, up-gradation of facilities at stations, improved passenger information system and novel innovations in passenger care are the new planks in the domain of passenger amenities. This railway has also displayed a remarkable sense of thrift down the decades in the best tradition of the legendary BNR, generating the highest surplus for the Indian Railways.

Its contribution to tourism promotion is but natural. Meandering through a region dotted with majestic mountain ranges, verdant forests and picturesque landscapes and seascapes characterized by diverse languages, cultures, customs and traditions, SER epitomizes the true spirit of India – bringing unity in diversity. It will be a truism to say that all the tourist places are very well connected by rail. SER’s uniqueness also runs into hospitality business with two heritage hotels – the BNR hotels at Ranchi and Puri where holiday goers can have a dip into the quiet comfort and relaxing atmosphere ensconced by sylvan surroundings of timeless grace and vintage architecture. To add to this, the railway boasts of the largest narrow gauge network in the country, bulk of which is in the midst of the picturesque Satpura range, a network set up by the erstwhile BNR in the early 20^th century.

BNR has throughout maintained its distinctive identity and was not affected either by the partition of India or by the regrouping of the railway except for a brief period of three years. In fact, when SER emerged in 1955 constituting the old BNR lines, it retained BNR’s old legacy and traditions undisturbed. The railway throughout maintained the ‘dynamic stability’ of a ideally healthy system constituting its hoary traditions, excellent work culture and resilient, innovative ethos that has spawned a glorious legacy and evokes the historical memory. It has endeavoured to cope with altered perception and changing ethos involving economic and other compulsions. The rich legacy and history of the railway that has percolated down to the grass root levels sustains the system. Even the modern management gurus who say ‘change or perish’ realize the importance of the collective memory of the organization and its history. The history is not simply for a delightful lapse into nostalgia, it acts as a stimulant and a source of inspiration for fulfilling new promises and facing new challenges.

A new millennium has dawned. With it has come the promise of brighter horizons, calmer waters and more prosperous days. Louis Armanda, former Secretary General of UIC was wont to say that the railway would be the mode of 21^st century, if they manage to survive the 20^th. It was both a challenge and a prophecy. As the railway, strides into the new millennium, challenges and opportunities are many and varied. This railway has launched itself into a higher growth trajectory while remembering the lessons of the past. It wishes to forge ahead enhancing and mapping wider areas of growth and development.

‘The Blue Chip Railway’ by Shri R R Bhandari marked the centenary celebration in 1987 of this vibrant railway and adumbrates the major milestones in its involution and evolution. The present volume titled ‘South Eastern Railway – March to the Millennium’ is an extension of the earlier edition incorporating newer details, growth and expansion that has taken place over the last one and half decades and the emergent perspective on multitudinal aspects of rail movement and operation. The timing of the updated version of the book is historically significant as the railway celebrates on the millennium year, 100 years of its services from Howrah to Mumbai, Chennai and Puri - linkages established a century ago. It also commemorates 75-year-old history of unmatched hospitality of the BNR hotel at Puri. Shri Bhandari has a sense of history and an eye for detail. He is indeed like the ‘Chief Memory Officer’ of a corporate house who helps the organization undertake change without engendering unnecessary chaos, cynicism or burnout. This makes the narrative a pleasure to read. One hopes that this uninterrupted saga and working ethos of BNR with its rich legacy will not be lost on the succeeding generations of the railway men and women and those that have been attached and beholden by this railway as patrons or fans. The present book is an attempt in this vein that will enable them to share the thrill of both history and history in the making.

R. K. THOOPAL, GENERAL MANAGER, Garden Reach, Kolkata                                             20^th February, 2001