There are debates about India’s first train journey, with the majority claiming it to be in 1853, whereas according to a few, it was in 1936.
The Indian
Railways is known for holding several records, including being the fourth-largest railway network in terms of length and the second-largest railway network to be run by a single owner/management. However, similar to the Indian automobile industry, the history of Indian Railways has not been demonstrated to the masses.
Yes, there are several museums and books about the Indian Railways, but how many media outlets write feature content about Indian Railways? The content about Indian Railways primarily focuses on news and updates, rather than its history.
Therefore, in this article of the ‘Indian On Wheels’ series, let us introduce you to Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan – India’s first three locomotives that pulled India’s first train.
Bori Bunder to Thane
Under the authority of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, the first commercial passenger train of India left Bori Bunder from Thane (then Tannah). Hauled by three steam locomotives named Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan, the train had 14 carriages and 400 passengers onboard, taking one hour and 15 minutes to reach Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus).
(Credit- India Times)
According to a report by the Mint, the fares of the train ranged between 2 and 5 annas for first class and third class, respectively. The cost of a second-class ticket was 1 rupee and 1 anna. However, during the first journey, the train mostly carried VIPs, including Lady Falkland, the wife of the governor of Bombay.
Disappearance, no trace
For the record, in 1953, India celebrated the centenary year of the journey. However, the whereabouts of three locomotives are unknown despite the fact that they are a crucial part of India’s history.
There are no photographs of the original three locomotives. The image used as the banner of this article is of another old-school engine named ‘Sindh’ to pay tribute to the original Sindh locomotive. In fact, nobody has any knowledge about what happened to Sahib and Sultan. Fortunately, Sindh was last seen at the Byculla office of GIPR in Mumbai, as reported by the Mint. Later, the locomotive was transported to Delhi by the Indian Railways, but its subsequent fate is unknown.
Debate between 36’ and 53’
Moving on, there has been a debate about India’s first passenger train. Many believe that the first train journey occurred in 1836 from a village called Chintadripet in the Madras Presidency of the British Empire. This claim is accepted to some extent, given that the railway system was not a “gift” from the British regime.
The British realised that India had fertile land to produce jute and cotton, and therefore, they needed to move these products from India quickly to deal with the low availability in England and America. Even passenger trains were made not for the Indian passengers but for the movement of various products that the British looted for decades and troops to counter the growing Indian struggle movement.
Sticking to the topic of this article, it is unfortunate that there are very few articles about Sahib, Sultan, and Sindh, and no photographs to make them a more prominent part of the Indian railway history. However, the next time you take a train journey, do remember their names or share this story with your fellow passengers to spread this forgotten part of Indian history.
