“This is to commemorate its last run between Ferozepur and Jalandhar on December 6, 1995, before it was phased out. With this run we are also seeing whether steam hauled locos are in shape and can be run on the main line for passenger services,” said Ashwani Lohani, Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Railway.

With the successful completion of the run, officials believe the pending proposal with the Railway Board to introduce monthly ticketed runs of steam engines on the route will get a boost.

The Northern Railway initiative is aimed at reviving steam engines, and also anchor them at the Rewari Heritage Loco Shed, which received a massive facelift ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

“We have been negotiating with tour operators to develop packages and also facilitate domestic and international tourists to come and visit the shed. Several tourists from Canada, Britain and China are fans of steam engines; this shed could be their destination. There are several steam engine enthusiasts even in India, but we need to draw out a proper connectivity plan for the shed and make steam engine runs regular,” Lohani said.

Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer/Power of Northern Railway Vikas Arya, who has been working on the project, told Newsline, “The shed is also becoming a hotspot for film shootings. So far, several films such as Guru, Gadar and Anurag Kashyap’s upcoming Washipur have been shot here. The shed is already booked for a few others films such as Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag in February.”

The shed also has an international appeal because most of the locos are imported, like the first prototype built by America’s Baldwin Loco Works, Philadelphia, in 1947, said Arya.

The shed has a cafeteria and a lounge car in a 1961 coach, which is equipped with a bar and snack counter. The Railways also plans to bring a special salon that ferried Prince Edward VIII during his 1921 India tour, and convert it into a dining and living coach.