LUCKNOW The colonial era rail route that passes through Dudhwa National Park, connecting Mailani in Lakhimpur district to Nanpara in Bahraich district, eventually saw its closure on Saturday.
The Mailani-Tikuniya (52258) passenger, which left Mailani station at 10:40 am on Saturday, was the last train on the route. This train used to travel between Mailani and Nanpara passing through Dudhwa.
On Friday, BJP Lok Sabha MP Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’ along with Monica Agnihotri, divisional railway manager (DRM), NE Railway (NER), Lucknow division, had inaugurated a 61-km long broad gauge route that would now connect Mailani with Lakhimpur Kheri.
However, those who want to travel from Mailani to Bahraich would now have to go via Lakhimpur Kheri and Gonda. Mailani-Lucknow Junction (55061) was the first passenger train that was flagged off on the new route on Saturday.
“The old metre gauge route from Mailani to Nanpara via Dudhwa has been closed in accordance to the high court’s order. On February 14 the Mailani-Lakhimpur broad gauge section was inaugurated for commencement of train operations thus restoring the connectivity to Mailani on the main broad gauge route,” said Mahesh Gupta, public relation officer (PRO), NE Railway, Lucknow division.
Officials said the high court had ordered the closure of the old rail route in order to conserve wildlife and also to avert the frequent train accidents on this section where wild life is in abundance. “This rail section was very vulnerable to wild life as in last two decade more than 100 wild animals have lost their lives in train accidents on this route,” said Sanjay Pathak, director of Dudhwa National Park.
{{/usCountry}}Officials said the high court had ordered the closure of the old rail route in order to conserve wildlife and also to avert the frequent train accidents on this section where wild life is in abundance. “This rail section was very vulnerable to wild life as in last two decade more than 100 wild animals have lost their lives in train accidents on this route,” said Sanjay Pathak, director of Dudhwa National Park.
{{/usCountry}}Initially, the NE Railway had planned to declare this route a heritage route and run a toy train on it in order to boost eco-tourism in the forest area. But after the court’s order, the plan was shelved.
Though the closure of the railway line is said to be a boon for the wild animals but at the same time, it would affect the population residing along the Nanpara-Mailani rail section for whom this section was no less than a lifeline.