Railways pulls off steam engine train to celebrate 63rd railway week

The Indian Railways took distinctive trip to yester years of steam era trains to commemorate the 63rd railway week celebrations of the Northern Railways today.

A steam engine brought over from the United States in 1947 -- Azad -- was run to and fro from New Delhi Railway Station to Delhi Junction on the occasion.

Azad has been showcased in various movies including Aamir Khan starrer Rang de Basanti. The engine has a capacity to hold around 25,000 litre of water and 15 tonne of coal and can run at a speed of 100 kmph.

An oppurtunity was given to the children of special needs school Navchetna to ride the steam engine hailed train.

''Indian Railways has a fairly good repository of steam engines, we are trying to resuscitate some of them. Special joy ride trains will be run on dedicated routes. The tickets of these runs will be priced such that everyone can take a ride on them," Chairman Railway Board Ashwani Lohani said after flagging off the train.