Hyderabad, Gadwal railway stations to be part of week-long ‘Azadi Ki Rail Gadi Aur Station’
Hyderabad: Hyderabad and Gadwal railway stations from Telangana along with Telangana Express that runs between Hyderabad-New Delhi will be part of week-long ‘Azadi Ki Rail Gadi Aur Station’ taken up by the Indian Railways.
As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemorating 75 years of independent India, the Railways have decided to have special focus on 75 Railway stations and 27 trains associated with the freedom struggle across the nation. On the South Central Railway (SCR) jurisdiction, Vijayawada and Guntur railway stations of Andhra Pradesh are also part the celebrations.
The Azadi Ki Rail events aim to spread awareness about the freedom struggle and honor the freedom fighters who devoted their life to achieve independence. The SCR has planned a host of cultural and historic events for the week long celebrations and stations will be decked up with light and sound shows in addition to Nukkad Nataks and other daily events.
107 years of Gadwal Railway Station from Meter Gauge to Junction:
Gadwal historically served as the capital of Gadwal Samsthan, a vassal of the Nizam of Hyderabad and has a rich history of freedom fighters.
Gadwal Railway station is situated on Secunderabad-Dhone section of Hyderabad Division and the Secunderabad-Gadwal Rail route was extended to Kurnool, Dhone and further south in the later years. The entire section has been converted to Broad Gauge during 1997.
Gadwal Railway station has attained the status of an important junction with the commencement of Gadwal – Raichur new railway line in the year 2013, according to a press release issued by the SCR. Nadigadda brings to mind Krishna – Tungabhadra rivers, Fifth Shakti Peetha, Gadwal Zari Sarees, Colonial history, irrigation water projects, power stations. Gadwal Railway Junction also joins that line with a century of history.
The first train on the Secunderabad – Gadwal Meter Gauge line built by Nizam ran on February 1, 1916. The smoke van which started from Secunderabad reached Gadwal Sansthanam at a distance of 182.2km and was welcomed by Raja Krishna Rambhupal, who generously donated 100 acres of land for the construction of Gadwal Railway station.
Nizam Guaranteed Railway:
Established in 1883, the Nizam Guaranteed Railway Company completed the construction of 10 new railway lines. In 1930, the government took over the ownership of Nizam Guaranteed Railway and renamed it as the Nizam State Railway. In 1950, the Nizam State Railway was nationalized and in 1951 it became the Central Railway and then formed as South Central Railway in 1966.
Treaty with the British
From Secunderabad, this Railway line was established through Kacheguda-Shadnagar-Jadcharla-Mahbubnagar to Gadwal Fort (British Frontier) which is the border of the Nizam’s State.
