Baripada (SunstarTV Bureau): In an initiative to recount and preserve glorious history of Mayurbhanj kingdom, the Ministry of Railways has decided to build a heritage museum at Baripada Railway Station.
In this regard, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has begun a tender process costs over Rs 1 crore.
South Eastern Railway, Kharagpur has undertaken the construction work of the project with an estimated cost of Rs 1.55 Crore. The initiative has been taken to recollect and preserve the glorious history of Indian Railways.
The museum will display two locomotives and their coaches after proper renovation. Besides, a park will be constructed near the facility.
The railway history of Mayurbhanj dates back to 1904 when work on the Rupsa-Bangiriposi narrow gauge line was started by its erstwhile ruler Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo.
“The then king Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo had brought three steam and diesel engines from England. Initially, a broad gauge line was laid from Rupsa to Baripada and then it was extended from from Bangiriposi to Talband,” said Pravin Bhanja Deo, the present King of the erstwhile royal family of Mayurbhanj.
Two narrow gauge steam engines, depicting the history of railways in the district, can be seen near Baripada railway station.