There are many songs and movies produced in Indian cinema which is based on trains. Since from ages, trains have been a really important part of our life. If we want to go anywhere within our nation's limits then we prefer trains first. April 16, 1853, was the day when India’s first train ran from Thane to Bori Bunder in Mumbai. It has been 165 years since India witnessed the impeccable mode of transport which is now, we can say, is a heart of the nation.
On the anniversary, passenger associations in Mumbai have proposed the installation of the old steam engine to create a memory. This comes after the plan for a World Transport Museum at CSMT has been put in cold storage. Thane’s passenger representatives have submitted a letter to Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on 12 April demanding the same. The letter states the local passenger associations have been demanding at least a steam engine to be installed at Thane station and requests for directions to the central railways for the same.
According to Nandkumar Deshmukh, President, Thane Railway Pravasi Sangh, he said that as it is the Transport Museum at CSMT is most likely not to come. With Thane-Bori Bunder being the first rail route, as a token of history, we asked the minister to at least keep a steam engine for public view.
Passenger associations claim that despite Thane holding historical relevance for Indian Railways, it remains in a poor condition. There was a proposal to convert Thane into a world-class station, which barely took off. Every day around 5-6 lakh people travel via Thane through main (CSMT-Kalyan) and trans-harbour (Thane-Vashi) lines. Despite this, the station is neglected and facilities provided are insufficient, Deshmukh further added.
Meanwhile, passenger associations will be holding a small function to compliment railwaymen in Thane and neighbouring stations. They will call the ticket checkers, gang men working on tracks, station masters and other staff there for the same. At present, there are wooden pillars, station office on platform 2 which has developed cracks and other relics at Thane station which has survived these many years.
