When Railways first reached Kalyan

 Many know about that first passenger train journey between Bombay and Tannah (Thane), that took place on the 16th April 1853. The day was one of utmost significance, when 400 passengers were conveyed the 21 miles between Bombay's Bori Bunder to Tannah, in under an hour, truly commencing the rail age in India. But while this event occured, work was well underway on another section of the same line: the next stretch of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (which became today's Central Railway) from Tannah to Callian. This was an important feat, for Callian (Kalyan) would become the first major junction on the railway, that would from there split into two routes; one would head Northeast toward Nasik, and thereafter toward Calcutta, and one heading Southeast towards Poona. Reaching Callian was therefore an incredible milestone.

The completion of the section upto Tannah was no trivial feat. The route went through marshes and hills. Hills had to be cut into (For instance at Kurla and Ghatkopar) or even largely quarried (Dug up, as in case of the hill of Sion) just to make the laying of rails possible. And if that wasn't enough, there was the matter of labour relations between English contractors, and native workers. All these had to be dealt with, before the line was completed. And yet this section was comparatively straightforward, relative to what was to be encountered in the succeeding section.

A high view of a train passing through Sion

The line, immediately after leaving the station at Tannah, hit its first obstacle: the Tannah river. It had to bridged through two viaducts, one short, of around a 100 m in length, and another long, 175 m in length.  The longer one had an iron span of around 30 m in between, to allow ships to pass under. And interestingly, both of these are used even today!

The Shorter Tannah Viaduct

The Longer Tannah Viaduct

Credit for both images: DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

This section was handed over to British contractors M/s Whythes and Jackson in April 1851, at a cost of Rs. 3,41,407. Besides these two viaducts, the contract composed of two tunnels dug through the Godadunghur hills (Parsik Hill). This is not the well known Parsik Tunnel though, which was opened much later in 1916. This is along the second route through Mumbra that many locals take today. Constructing the tunnels was no easy feat too. The first tunnel had to be blasted out of the rock, while the second one was bored into the earth, built solidly with masonry. 

View of a train chugging out of one of the tunnels
(This is probably the second tunnel)

After this complicated section, there was a relatively easy stretch till Callian. The route curved towards the left, passed along the margins of the Callian river (Ulhas river) before finally reaching the village of Callian. The stretch from the tunnel no.2 till Callian was handed over to a Parsi Contractor, Jamsetjee Dorabjee Naegamwala in May 1852, for a cost of Rs. 1,65,851.

Work was completed on the stretch by April 1854, around an year after the first train run. The first train to Callian would run on 1st May of that year.

The inaugural train was attended by around 250 ladies and gentlemen. (both British and Indian) At the terminus of Bori Bunder, the attendees were attended by two company directors, one of the them being Major Swanston. The train left Bori Bunder at around 4:45 pm that day. Running at a speed of around 30 mph (50 kmph), it reached Bhandoop in just 34 minutes. Here, the run was greeted by the Governor Elphinstone, as well as other dignitaries such as the members in council, and even the village elders, and gentlemen from Bombay. The stop at Bhandoop lasted just 5 minutes, during which water was filled into the engine. The train left, and headed toward Tannah. Here, the railway station, and even the streets were crowded with native Indians, eager to see the train.

The train then left Tannah behind, and chugged over the two Creek bridges. It moved along the curved corridor, passing through the first tunnel, and then the second. Finally, the train moved through the final stretch, and stopped near the Creek grounds of the nearby Callian river, by 6 pm.

The passengers were greeted by huge tents pitched on the banks of the river, and dinner was laid on table for around 300 guests. The invitees then climbed to the top of a nearby hill, to gaze at the magnificent scenery created by the river and the Ghats. The railway directors, fulfilled their part in the ceremony truly well, trying their best to provide for the comfort of the guests. They ensured that there were enough seats for the ladies stop the hill, and an equal number of seats were set along the riverside, when the party descended. 

A large table was prepared, which was filled completely by the guests. The dinner was enlivened by the Governor's band, which played during the dinner. Following this began the speeches. The ceremony was almost at its end. It was concluded with an exhibition of fireworks. The sky was fairly dark, it being a crecent moon night, so you can imagine that it must have been a beautiful spectacle to behold. Besides this, blue lights were burnt on the other side of a river, to add to the scene.

Around 9:15 pm, the guest gathered near the train. At about 9:45, the pistons were set to motion, and the train with its occupants left for Bombay. One last surprise was left though. When the train entered the tunnels at Parseek, passengers found the tunnels lighted up with blue lights, which would have certainly added that one last touch to top it off.

Well, the rest was same ahead. The train made a one last stop at Tannah for a short while, and then continued on,  retracing its route, and reaching Bori Bunder at around 11 pm. 

Needless to say, the passengers, who had arrived so late would have been tired from the day's adventure. However, many, while walking back to their homes within the fort of Bombay, through the narrow streets, would have reminisced the happenings of the day, and walked in a feeling of satisfaction and perhaps disbelief about how much was achieved how quickly.

 This was just one stretch though. Now upon reaching Callian, the railway got an important junction to split into two, and expand in two directions. This was just the beginning of the vast network of railways that spans our country today, and this was it's humble beginning!

Thanks for the scroll!