India's Enduring Colonial Link: A British Company Still Owns This Railway Line

In an intriguing twist of history, a relic from India's colonial past continues to operate, not just as a piece of infrastructure but as an active agreement requiring the modern Indian state to pay an annual royalty to a British company. We're talking about the Shakuntala Railway, a narrow-gauge line nestled in Maharashtra, a testament to enduring legacies and complex historical ties.

Built in 1903 by the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Company, a British firm, the Shakuntala Railway was established with a singular, strategic purpose: to transport the rich cotton produce from Vidarbha's fertile plains directly to the textile mills of Manchester, England.

This 189-kilometer line, connecting Murtizapur to Yavatmal and Achalpur, was a vital artery in the colonial economy, a silent workhorse facilitating the movement of raw materials that fueled an empire.

What makes this railway truly unique is that even after India gained independence in 1947, the original agreement signed with the British government remained in effect.

Today, the operational aspects of the Shakuntala Railway are managed by Indian Railways, but the ownership of the tracks and the underlying land technically still rests with the British Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Company. Consequently, India continues to pay an annual "rent" or royalty for its use.

Initially, this annual payment was around 1.2 crore rupees, but with fluctuating exchange rates and potential revisions over the decades, the precise current figure is likely different.

The company’s owners, descendants of the original British family, are said to reside in London, receiving this payment as a direct financial echo of a bygone era.

For decades, the Shakuntala Railway epitomized a slower, simpler form of travel. Its antiquated steam engines, chugging along at a leisurely 20 kilometers per hour, became a familiar sight.

While steam has since given way to diesel locomotives, the line's condition remains largely unchanged—a single track, often in disrepair, reflecting its age and the challenges of modernizing an asset with such unique ownership.

Despite its historical quirks and operational challenges, the Shakuntala Railway plays a crucial role in the local economy.

It serves as an affordable and reliable mode of transport for farmers, traders, and daily commuters in remote areas, carrying passengers and goods through villages that might otherwise be less connected. For them, its slow pace is a small price to pay for connectivity.

There have been discussions and proposals over the years to modernize the line, convert it to broad gauge, and for Indian Railways to finally take full ownership, integrating it completely into the national network.

However, the complexities of the century-old agreement and the process of acquiring an asset still technically owned by a foreign entity have presented significant hurdles. The Shakuntala Railway thus stands as a living museum, a testament to a time when empires ruled, and an ongoing administrative marvel that connects India's past with its present, one slow journey at a time.