This was a short trip for Saurab and I. Saurab had just got himself out of bed-rest
(courtesy a fractured tailbone) and he was raring to go. Deciding to brave the weather, I agreed.
We met in the morning at Sealdah, and without much ado, got the Lalgola Passenger to Naihati. This was a conventional
passenger, as opposed to an EMU rake, and the nice part was that it didn't stop at all stations. After brief halts
at Dumdum Jn and Barrackpore, it saw us at Naihati Jn.
From Naihati, the main line heads up northwards to Kalyani and beyond. A double tracks veers off westwards to connect
to Bandel Jn (on the Howrah-Barddhaman main line) across the Hooghly. There are two stations on the 9 km route,
namely Garifa and Hooghly Ghat. The Jubilee Bridge (so named to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee) spans
the Hooghly between these two stations. Construction was begun in 1882 and completed in 1887. There is just one
pier on the river. As you can see from the photos, it is rather unique in appearance.
Just beyond Garifa station, at the approach to the bridge, the double lines merge (not exactly merge but kind of
overlap each other) since the bridge is not wide enough for two separate tracks. This arrangement saves the trouble
of requiring turnouts to be installed. Just beyond the bridge, before one reaches Hooghly Ghat station, the lines
separate to form double tracks once again.
After a quick snack at Naihati (couldn't get more than alu poori and mithai), we headed back to the station and
found a local (there are a few Naihati - Bandel shuttles) to take us to Garifa. We got off the train and walked
along the tracks and got down to ground level (there is a pretty high embankment due to the bridge). the old brickwork
was of course very solid and done well. We roamed about along the banks, taking photos to our hearts' content before
we climbed back up and decided to cross the bridge. Gingerly stepping on to the first plate (well there was almost
nothing below for quite a distance were we to miss a step), we made our way across, making sure to check the plates
before trusting our weight to them. The bridge is olddddd after all :) Had to make way, rather move to the side
for two trains to cross us, one a WDM-2 hauled freight and the other an EMU on the down direction. Finally, and
gratefully, we made our way back on solid ground, and took in the signboards which had details about the bridge
and its speed restrictions etc.
Just then we spotted another train in the distance, and it seemed the front was green in colour. Could it be a
WAG-9? And sure enough it was a 3 phase WAG-9 loco and it thundered past, carrying behind it a freight rake.
We then walked on to Hooghly Ghat station, and down to town level below on one of those eternal quests for Thums
Up. Had to walk quite a bit before we found an open shop that had Pepsi. Refreshing ourselves (it was very hot
by now), we made our way back to the station and got a local back to Naihati.
We hung about Naihati for a bit, searching for a suitable train. The first two were hopelessly overcrowded. We
finally found a rare Barddhaman - Sealdah local and boarded. Luckily this train was not as crowded as the previous
ones. We were pretty tired out by then, just waiting to get home. The stations passed in a whizz, Saurab detrained
at Dumdum to head home and I made it to Sealdah to take a cab back home. |
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The Jubilee Bridge, between Garifa and Hooghly Ghat stations.
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Another view of the Jubilee Bridge, Garifa end.
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Builder's plate on the bridge.
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A diesel hauled freight on the bridge...
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... And it passes us.
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At the Hooghly Ghat end. You can see how the twin tracks overlap.
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A surpise in the form of a WAG-9 hauled freight trundles out of the bridge.
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Plaque commemorating the bridge.
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Speed restriction boards at the entrance to the bridge.
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And a typo sums it all.
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