The Maliya Miyana–Wankaner section to Western Railway of Rajkot Division in

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

State.

History

The Morvi-Wankaner section was laid as a (

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

) roadside tram way in the year 1890 by Morvi Railway up to Morvi under the regime of Sir Waghji Thakor. Later it was converted to in 1924. Later it was extended to Maliya Miyana before the 1940s. Sir Lakhdhiraji Thakor who ruled from 1922 until 1948. Sir Lakhdiraji acted as a ruler, manager, patron and policeman of the state with great authority. Sir Lakhdiraji, like other contemporary rulers of Saurashtra, built roads and a railway network (of seventy miles), connecting

Wadhwan Wadhwan, also spelled Vadhwan, is a city and a municipality in Surendranagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located on the banks of the Bhogavo River, around 3 km from Surendranagar and 111 km from Ahmedabad, Wadhwan is a kn ...

and Morbi and the two small ports of Navlakhi and Vavania to export salt and cloth. It was the last steam engine hauled section in India. Before railbuses took over on Wankaner-Morvi, there were two-coach trains hauled by YG or YP steam locos (these were the last steam-hauled trains on those routes). Running of Steam trains stopped in April 1999.

Gauge conversion

Gauge conversion of Maliya–Miyana section was taken up in 1996–97. Conversion to

broad gauge A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways. Broad gauge of , commonly known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union (CIS ...

was completed in the year 2001.

Freight

Maliya Miyana–Wankaner section is mainly a freight line for salt transportation from Dahinsar. Due to income in freight this line is not closed otherwise it would have been closed. Less passenger trains pass through this line.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maliya Miyana-Wankaner section 5 ft 6 in gauge railways in India Railway lines in Gujarat * * 1890 establishments in India Western Railway zone