Project Uni-gauge – ‘One nation, One track-width’

Introduction

Railways got introduced in our Indian context during first half of nineteenth century. First it was used for material movement. Small local networks based on then construction needs came up. One such occasion was when a great dam across the Godavari River got constructed that changed the agri-economic-social landscape of the region. It was at Dhavaleshwaram, near Rajahmundry city in current Andhra Pradesh. As school students most were taught about the first passenger train that travelled between current Mumbai and Thane. It was in 1853 and for about thirty-four kilometers, three engines pulled the train of four hundred people for over an hour to travel the distance.

In railway systems, the engines and the ‘coaches’ are on the ‘tracks’ that are fixed to the ground, and the distance between these two rails is fixed. The distance between two rails that carried engine/coaches is called ‘Gauge’. Technically it is the distance between the two inner sides of the railway track.

To offer the overview, due to legacy reasons Indian Railways had different ‘Gauges’ that restricted the inter-operability of trains as these can’t adjust to different track-widths automatically. In other words, one train that can fit one gauge can’t travel by changing to a different gauge. This severely restricted the movement of both goods and people across the country. In the case of people, they had to de-board from one gauge train and board another/different gauge train. In the case of goods, this involved complete unloading and then shifting it to a different platform and loading onto a different train that had belonged to a different gauge. Constraint, a strong yes as an answer, it also caused delays for both people/goods and damages in case of goods due to the avoidable shifting. ?Surely a limitation and irritable problem; the solution was waiting till the early 1990s.

Evolution of ‘Rail Gauges’ globally

Reportedly the pulling track system used in mines developed with very wide and another with very narrow track distances. Wide one reportedly had two meter and narrow one had only half a meter distances. However, when loco driven train systems developed, different standards evolved and were dependent on vendor whose equipment was bought.

Today the largely seen and ‘popular’ train system uses ‘Standard’ gauge’ This often is seen in metro train systems in our context. The distance between the tracks is 1435 mm or 4 feet 81/2 inches of separation. Currently almost sixty percent of the systems used world over are using standard gauge. Erstwhile USSR and neighboring systems use something called ‘Russian’ Gauge which is of five feet wide. This is about eighteen percent. The system originated reportedly in Norway and became popular in Africa is called ‘Cape’ gauge and is of three and half feet or 1067 mm of width between two rail lines. This is the third most found system and amounts to about ten percent. Metre gauge which is fourth largest is found in different parts, and earlier so in India too before most of it got converted into Broad gauge. Next comes the Indian Broad gauge which is of 1676 mm width or five and half feet separation between the two rails.

In terms of track length, Standard gauge has over seven lakh kilometer length, Russian gauge over two lakhs, and other three gauges of Cape / Metre / Broad are hovering around a lakh kilometer length. The narrow and light gauges are of special use especially in mountainous geographies where width available is less for laying of the tracks. Operationally, due to heavy duty of climbing up involved, not much of the speed is expected in such contexts.

Historical growth of Indian Railways

When railways were amalgamated in India in 1951, reportedly there were over forty systems that were prevailing. These were in different geographies and terrains, came up at different points of time, sourced from different manufacturers, and had different technologies and operability. Some of the names of larger systems for quick appreciation are - Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR), Nizam State Railway (NSR), Bengal-Nagpur Railway (BNR), Bombay, Baroda, & Central India Railway (BB&CI), Mysore State Railway (MSR), East Indian Railway (EIR), and South Indian Railway company (SIR) among others.?

India then was divided into British controlled territories, and many principalities aka ‘states’. Many of these states to the tune of seventy percent of them were about a dozen square miles or so. Bundle of a few villages with a small town as ‘Capital’? However, some of these states were comparatively big. Such had a population of few lakhs of people spread over thousands of square miles of area. Such states pioneered railway systems for mobility.

British government too encouraged companies to come up and setup rail systems and operate. To look attractive, guaranteed earnings were offered. British government assured a minimum of five percent of investment as the ‘guaranteed’ return way back in 1845. There appeared like a gold-rush for a few years. This uncoordinated, parallel and independent growth of railway systems in different areas that were politically and administratively ‘unconnected’ brought in the heterogeneity in the Indian systems. The result was different ‘Gauges’ or laying different width rail systems, buying rolling stock that fitted this width. Thus, at the time of independence in 1947 we had multiple ‘Gauges’ in the country, and for the next forty years the situation mostly continued as status-quo. Often, in such places people were heard saying in their languages equivalent of ‘we need to change and catch train on the ‘small line’’. Stations too were classified accordingly. For instance, Indore had a portion for ‘Broad Gauge’ and another for ‘Metre Gauge’.

The momentum built up and the political leadership of that time under the prime ministership of PVNR launched ‘One nation One Gauge’. The county’s rail system was fifty-six percent comprised of broad gauge, significant second came the metre gauge at thirty-seven percent, smaller portion was ‘narrow gauge’. It accounted for less than seven percent. For the uninitiated, the above gauges mean – ‘broad’ at five and half feet distance between tracks, ‘metre’ is perfect one meter (3 feet 33/8 inches), and two narrow gauges of two and half feet and second of two feet width that catered to mountainous routes. In our case, narrow gauges of two and half and two feet were put in the hill context e.g. Darjeeling or Shimla or Matheran lines. Nilgiris is a mountain rail system that uses a metre gauge and is fitted with extra safety mechanism (to avoid rolling back!). Such ‘heritage’ lines will not be disturbed is a conscious call from a tourism perspective.

‘Project Uni-gauge’, progress, and benefits

At the beginning of 1990s, which is little over thirty years ago, Indian railway scenario as highlighted above was a mixed bag of BG/MG/NGs. About 56/37/7 percents were the break-up of these three gauges. Given the constraints faced and the delays involved, the resolve was to help ‘migrate’ to one-gauge. This was announced with vigor in 1992 by the new government that termed the initiative as ‘Project Uni-gauge’. It took about thirty years for us to reach the level of 96/2/2 percent of BG/MG/NGs. The reported progress made in terms of BG achievement from 56% over the next three decades is 72%, then 87%, and finally current levels of 96% of the total track length. The track length has only marginally increased from 62 K kilometers to 68K kilometers during the period doesn’t complicate the scenario. Thus, percentages fairly represent the ‘gauge conversion achievement’ rates.

The above conversion helped the country achieve mostly broad gauge at all places except the mountain routes that are limited in length. During the conversion period, there were temporary suspension of services and stoppage of the routes, but the effort gave a lasting benefit. We have examples in the form of long-distance trains that travel from south to east and south to north and west to east trains that travel long distances to the tune of three thousand kilometers too. All on uni-gauge. While growing up we learnt with awe that there is a train called ‘Him-Sagar’ that goes from ‘Himalayas’ to ‘Sagar’ at Kanyakumari. All the erstwhile bottlenecks, constraints, shifting, changing got avoided now. Inter-operability is ensured with seamless movement of goods and people.

Erstwhile disconnected systems are now fully connected. All the lines that can be migrated to broad gauge. The current movement is faster comparatively, and more with stability and balance. In terms of inventory and maintenance, smaller variety and number are required. Economic operations can then be assured. Variety decrease is a good measure from inventory and maintenance perspectives.

On a ‘unified’ closing note

With ninety-six percent of the Indian Railway systems under ‘One Nation – One Track-width’, Project Uni-gauge ideally should be credited as the bellwether of ‘One nation One SYSTEM’ titled many initiatives currently getting conceived. Uniformity helped, clutter got removed, speed and equity are assured. Enough benefits, one may agree.

This was an engineering achievement during the later part of the post-independence history of our country. We appreciated that given the diversity in then political/administrative setup, differences in timelines and growth trajectories, multiple vendors involved in the procured systems that got installed, diversity and heterogeneity in Railways were natural. It is the vision of the leadership in early 1990s that propelled the action towards ‘gauge conversion’ and aligned actions for ‘Uni-gauge’. It was not bricklaying but construction of a mansion for the nation builders! Our generation grew up to experience the benefits and are still here to show gratitude to the departed leadership.

Difficulties were faced during the conversion but now difficulties are avoided for all the stakeholders. Cumulative investments of the ‘same time value’ and realized returns may not be in a single place, but the physical benefits are clear and obvious for the user community to appreciate. We may aver that many such productive initiatives that benefit larger masses or Janata of Bharat are required. These provide real returns on investments. Worth the effort as the impact is clear in terms of outcomes. Thank you, nation builders.