Friends, finally, after some delay, my podcast with @kunalvijayakar on the History of the Bor Ghat railway line on @IVMPodcasts is live! It has come out well though the editing could have been a little better. I regret if there are any errors in the podcast. I would request you to watch it on YouTube in leisure (as it is 47 minutes long 🙂) and let me know how it came out! Thanks! 🙏 #podcast #IndianRailways #History piped.video/wVF2NIsF-DM?si=lgNH…

The 77-km Arakkonam-Renigunta 3rd and 4th line project at a cost of ₹1,936.46 crore will clear the heavy rail traffic on the route and create annual logistics savings of about ₹110 crore. The Arakkonam-Renigunta rail section is part of the busy Mumbai-Chennai corridor and currently runs at 120% of its normal traffic limit. The two new tracks will handle an extra 7.21 million tonnes of freight every year. The expansion speeds up cargo movement toward the Ennore port and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. It connects regional manufacturing hubs like SIPCOT Ranipet and SIDCO Tiruvallur, plus local cement plants. The route links coal and freight traffic smoothly to power stations like Kudgi and Rayalaseema. Extra tracks stop freight trains from waiting for passenger traffic to pass. Goods, industrial raw materials, and automobiles reach markets across the country much quicker, this saving a logistics cost of about ₹110 crore. #IndianRailways #projects

A beautiful picture of two WPs 7122 and 7487 at Fatuha near Patna, hauling two eastbound trains, taken in early 1983 by Mark Carter! While WP 7122 was part of the second batch of 50 locos of this class built indigenously at CLW in 1964, WP 7487 was part of the batch of 120 WP engines imported from Montreal Locomotive Company, Canada, in 1949. Fatuha Junction railway station (FUT) came into existence in 1862 during the expansion of the Howrah–Delhi main line by the East Indian Railway Company. The station’s regional importance grew substantially in 1922–1923 when Martin's Light Railways (a private company based in Calcutta) constructed a 42 km narrow-gauge (2 ft 6 in) branch line originating from Fatuha to Islampur. This narrow-gauge line operated independently for decades before being devastated by severe floods in 1976. Martin's Light Railways officially closed the line in 1984, leading to its nationalization by Indian Railways in 1986. It was later completely resurrected, converted into a broad-gauge line, and inaugurated in 2003. Today, Fatuha functions as a massive 7-platform junction and hosts the first inland rail container yard in Bihar (operated by CONCOR). Throughout the mid-to-late 20th century, Fatuha Junction was a critical crossing and watering point on the busy Mughalsarai–Patna–Howrah stretch. Because Fatuha sat at the dual-gauge junction where the narrow-gauge Martin's steam tanks met the broad-gauge main line, it became a world-renowned destination for rail enthusiasts and photographers in the late 1970s and 1980s. #IndianRailways #Fatuha #History

Lunchtime humour - Bank Manager to his counter clerk: Mishraji is our very old customer. Yesterday, you misbehaved with him. Take back your words and express regret. Bank Manager hands over the phone to the counter clerk. Staff: Hello, Mishraji? Mishra: Yes, Mishra speaking! Staff: Sir, I am calling from the bank. Mishra: Okay? Staff: Yesterday I told you, "Go to hell." Mishra: Haan, so? Staff: Don't go!!! 😃😛😂

The sound and performance of a WAP-5 vs WAP-7! While the WAP-5 is said to have better acceleration and can haul up to 180 kmph with lighter loads, the WAP-7 has better tractive effort in terms of hauling 20-plus coach rakes up to 130 kmph. Video courtesy, Gibbson!#IndianRailways

My dad's call in the morning got me a little tense. Dad (he is 88 years old) - The problem is that @the_hindu newspaper hasn't been delivered today. Can you please take a photo of the Sudoku puzzle and send it to me on WhatsApp? Me (relieved) - Oh, I am just stepping out to buy vegetables. Shall send it on my return. This Sudoku addiction seems to run in the family. 🙂 #dad #Sudoku

Are these skills disappearing among us? We need to combat behaviour that leads to losing these skills forever. #skills

With the coming of multiple television news channels in both English and regional languages, the competition is intense and the lines between reporting and responsibility have become more blurred. Television news channels are marketing tragedies on how they covered a particular tragedy the most, even if it's a heinous one. Another debatable aspect of television news channels is marketing their reporters, as many of them have great visibility on social media. Whether it's a desirable trend or not can be a subject of discussion. #newschannels #responsibility

The Maharaja Jam Sahib Sir Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar, the then Rajpramukh of the United State of Saurashtra, is seen with Eleanor Roosevelt, the former First Lady of the United States, during her visit to Saurashtra in 1952. Ms Roosevelt was at that time undertaking her month-long visit to India, for which she was invited by the then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Sir Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja GCSI GCIE (1895 – 1966), known widely in Poland as the Good Maharaja, was the ruling Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar (present day Jamnagar), succeeding his uncle, the famed cricketer Ranjitsinhji. He ruled Nawanagar from 1933 to 1947, when Nawanagar was merged into the United State of Kathiawar, after which he held his title nominally. Jadeja is personally credited with saving around 740 Polish orphans between 1942 and 1946, following the Invasion of Poland. While serving as the Hindu delegate to the British war cabinet he convinced members of the Red Cross and Anders' Army to transport the orphans to Jamnagar, where he provided them with food, shelter, clothes, education, and medical care in the nearby coastal village of Balachadi. Following the Surrender of Germany, the orphans were returned to Poland. Upholding the cricketing tradition of his uncle, he served as President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 1937 to 1938 and was a member of several prominent sporting clubs. He had previously played a single first-class match during the 1933–34 season, captaining Western India against the MCC during its tour of India and Ceylon. A 2015 documentary titled "Little Poland in India" was made in collaboration of both Indian and Polish governments to honour the efforts of Maharaja Jam Sahib[16] and Kira Banasinska, who led the movement in India to rehabilitate Polish refugees. In 2025, a monument honoring Jadeja was installed in Nevatim, a community in southern Israel that has a sizable population of Jews from India. #Gujarat #royalty #history

A restored and colourized photo of Mahatma Gandhi with Chiang Kai-shek, Soong Mei-ling and Jawaharlal Nehru— Calcutta, 10 February 1942 This rare photograph captures one of the most significant meetings of Asian leaders during the Second World War — and a high point in the longer story of Indian–Chinese anti-imperial networks of the 1930s and 1940s. In February 1942, as Japanese forces advanced through Burma and threatened India, Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling arrived in India. Although official guests of the British government, Chiang’s principal aim was to win the active support of Indian nationalists for the war against Japan by backing the Indian National Congress’s demand for a transfer of political power. He urged the British to grant India dominion status immediately. In return, he suggested, the Congress should suspend its campaign for full independence until the war ended. The effort failed. Neither the British nor the Congress were willing to shift their positions. Congress insisted on complete independence before any wartime cooperation, while Chiang’s priority remained the defeat of Japan. The meeting with Gandhi (lasting nearly five hours) and with Nehru took place against a backdrop of earlier solidarity. In 1939 Nehru had visited China, met Chiang and Soong Mei-ling, and discussed concrete proposals for cooperation in education, culture, economy and politics. Indian nationalists had already sent a medical mission to China in 1938–39 and supported cultural initiatives such as the Sino-Indian Cultural Society and the Cheena Bhavana at Santiniketan. Both sides spoke the language of Pan-Asian anti-imperialism, yet their primary targets differed: India focused on ending British rule, China on resisting Japan. These differing national agendas limited how far the partnership could go. Despite the failure of the 1942 compromise, both sides continued to express faith in future cooperation between a free India and a free China. Gandhi later wrote a warm personal letter to Chiang affirming this hope. After the war, Chiang Kai-shek continued to lead Nationalist China but was defeated by Mao Zedong’s Communist forces. In 1949, he retreated with his government to Taiwan, where he remained President of the Republic of China until his death in 1975. #India #China #historyfacts

Ganesh emblem on UK top motor company - did you know the story behind it? This AI animated video tells you that story. #Ganesha #cars #logo

Late 19th century, a restored and colourized photo of Scots Kirk St.Andrew's Church, Cubbon Road, Bangalore! St. Andrew's Church on Cubbon Road in Bangalore (Bengaluru), originally known as St. Andrew's Kirk, was built in the 19th century to serve Scottish soldiers and civilians. Scottish residents and soldiers first gathered in 1863, aided by Lieutenant-General Sir James Hope Grant. The foundation stone was laid on November 22, 1864, by Lady Grant. Designed in classic Gothic style by Mysore engineers Major Sankey and R.C. Dobbs, the church opened for public worship on November 18, 1866, consecrated by Rev. Stewart Wright. It was initially dubbed the "Red Kirk" because the exterior was painted red. The Kirk maintained distinct Scottish traditions, including celebrating St. Andrew's Day, hosting Burns' Night, playing western music, and performing classical Scottish square dancing. Scottish regiment soldiers attended services in their traditional kilts and played bagpipes. #Bangalore #church #history

Why are there two dots under 'n' in the abbreviated form of junction? #DidYouKnow The two dots (or a solid line with dots) under a raised letter in old abbreviations are traditional 19th-century English grammatical contraction marks used to show that letters from the middle of a word have been left out. Before typewriters and digital screens, writing a raised letter with dots or lines underneath was the formal, standard way to indicate an abbreviated word (much like how we use a simple period like Jn. today). While modern writing has dropped this style, older railway shorthand and legacy signboards kept this classic formatting frozen in time. #IndianRailways #abbreviations

Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think. Good morning, friends, and have a great weekend! 🙏 #WeekendWisdom

#DidYouKnow The Amritsar-Ghaziabad line, constructed between 1865-75, cut across the Beas, the Sutlej and other important rivers before it reaches Ambala, and crosses the Jumna not far from Saharanpur. All these formidable obstacles were spanned by wrought-iron lattice-girder structures. The Beas Bridge was constructed at the present Beas Junction, the Sutlej Bridge at Phillour, and the Jumna Bridge was near Sahranpur. Before 1875, trains could run from Calcutta through Delhi and Lahore to the Indus at Multan, and by 1880, to Karachi itself. #IndianRailways #History

No accompanying artists - just a matchbox... quite amazing! 👏 #music

The alignment passing through the more urban parts of Kallakurichi with houses on both sides of the proposed line. In the third photo, it's the proposed track entering what would be the station yard of Kallakurichi railway station. The last photo is the site where the entire Kallakurichi railway station will come up along with the station building, station yard, and the circulating area. Once Kallakurichi comes on to the railway map next year, it will probably leave Perambalur as the only district headquarters town without a railway station in Tamil Nadu. #IndianRailways #projects #TamilNadu

Yes, the Boroti railway station in Solapur division of @Central_Railway has the station code BOT. 🙂

I can proudly say that I studied in a school that had no school uniform as it saw it as a form of coercion. My daughter too went to another school of the same Foundation and had no school uniform. But yes, that came with reasonable restrictions. We couldn't wear T-shirts and Jeans to the class. And yes, no bathroom slippers either. #school #uniform #discipline

This is the formation work under progress of the stretch between Porpadakurichi and Kallakurichi. In the first photo, excavation is in progress in the distant background for construction of a subway. The track would ultimately come up 5 feet above this level as that much earth needs to be put on and rolled to stabilize the track structure. The last photo is the weight being taken for the core cutter test, which is a field method used to determine the in-situ dry density and degree of compaction of soft to medium cohesive soils. The result, as per the laid down formula came out to be 96.5 but the prescribed reading is 98. So there's more work for the roller on the formation. #IndianRailways #projects

During our childhood we were told that if Bishen Bedi troubled a batsman in the first ball of his over, he had the capability to pitch all the next five deliveries around the spot where the batsman was put in a spot. One of the best spinners of his generation for a reason! #BishenBedi