BBC 4 India's Frontier Railways

[Envoy]

A series of 3 programmes - 'India's Frontier Railways' is on BBC 4 at 9pm on Thursdays from 12 March, 2015.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0555xgw

The Maitree Express
India's Frontier Railways Episode 1 of 3

Filmed during the holy month of Ramadan, this is a journey from India into Bangladesh on a train that reunites the region of Bengal. Partitioned in 1947, Bengal was divided in half, creating East Pakistan - a satellite state ruled by Pakistan. It was an unwelcome occupation. In 1971 they fought a war of independence and East Pakistan became the People's Republic of Bangladesh. 37 years later, the first train ran between India and Bangladesh - the Maitree Express. Maitree means friendship.

 

[stut]

Oh! This looks good. I do want to travel on the Maitree Express - I didn't have the time on my last visit to Kolkata.

 

[Greenback]

I've got this marked down and I'm looking forward to watching it. I've enjoyed the previous series about Indian railways.

 

[Glenmutchkin]

Interesting footage of an MG train running on mixed gauge track at about 45 minutes in.

 

[yorksrob]

A very enjoyable programme indeed, although a slight factual error at the start when they said that Britain was the last outside power to invade the Indian subcontinent. I believe that was actually China in about 1968.

Anyway, I hope I'm not as hard work to the buffet trolley attendants around here as the passengers here seemed to be for the poor guy with the chocolate!

 

[tony6499]

Felt sorry for the poor guy selling the chocolate before it melted and everyone haggling him down, I'd like to think the makers of the documentary paid for his cool box.

Interesting seeing the guard and his duties as well, seems most things there done by paper and pen and not at all computerised.

 

[ainsworth74]

I've enjoyed the previous series about Indian railways.

Yes the one about mountain Indian mountain railways was fantastic (actually it might have been several episodes).

I'm looking forward to getting round to this later.

 

[Greenback]

You'll enjoy it. It's a fascinating look at the train and some of the people who work it or whose lives have been touched by it. It's very similar to Indian Hill Railways in that respect.

 

[dvboy]

Next episode (from Digiguide):

The Last Train in Nepal. Episode 2.
Series about the international trains crossing borders in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. An international railway line runs for just 20 miles from Janakpur in Nepal to Jaynagar junction in India, but is now under threat of closure. Starved of funds from central government, the train and the track are in a dilapidated state. Derailments are common and the engine often breaks down. Yet it's a lifeline both for the community and the railway workers. Deserted by her husband, Regina is a single mother of two teenage boys. She makes a living as a smuggler of small household goods. But it's illegal, so even when the train is running there's always the chance of getting caught. Aarman is a ticket collector in Janakpur station. Married with three small children he's the sole breadwinner for an extended family and he hasn't been paid for three months. Already deeply in debt, he wanted to send his kids to school, but if the line closes he's out of job.

 

[stut]

Caught up with this at the weekend. True to BBC4, it was quite old-fashioned in its documentary style, and all the better for it. Reinforces my desire to go this journey, even if the dual immigration and customs process sounds remarkably tedious! Lovely bit of film - I'll certainly follow the rest of the series.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Next episode (from Digiguide):

The Last Train in Nepal. Episode 2.
Series about the international trains crossing borders in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. An international railway line runs for just 20 miles from Janakpur in Nepal to Jaynagar junction in India, but is now under threat of closure. Starved of funds from central government, the train and the track are in a dilapidated state. Derailments are common and the engine often breaks down. Yet it's a lifeline both for the community and the railway workers. Deserted by her husband, Regina is a single mother of two teenage boys. She makes a living as a smuggler of small household goods. But it's illegal, so even when the train is running there's always the chance of getting caught. Aarman is a ticket collector in Janakpur station. Married with three small children he's the sole breadwinner for an extended family and he hasn't been paid for three months. Already deeply in debt, he wanted to send his kids to school, but if the line closes he's out of job.

I have seen these first two episodes, will watch the 3rd later. They are very interesting, I did feel sorry for that little line from Nepal to India, everyone that is employed on it works so hard, it's a shame that it is closing, but hopefully many of the staff will get employed when it's reopened as a broad gauge line with all the new connections that are hoped for.

 

[ainsworth74]

Having watched all three episodes I can highly recommended it to anyone and they're all still on Iplayer for a little bit longer so you've still got a chance. Cracking documentary.

 

[tony6499]

I enjoyed all 3 programmes, shame there are not more of this ilk

 

[TheKnightWho]

I have seen these first two episodes, will watch the 3rd later. They are very interesting, I did feel sorry for that little line from Nepal to India, everyone that is employed on it works so hard, it's a shame that it is closing, but hopefully many of the staff will get employed when it's reopened as a broad gauge line with all the new connections that are hoped for.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in Nepal, actually. China are hell-bent on getting their new extension from Shigatse to Zhangmu on the Nepalese border, which is itself an extension that opened last year of the line to Lhasa. An extension to Kathmandu would very likely be standard gauge, and is aimed to quickly follow.

Nepal is already looking to be a staging ground for Chinese and Indian competition - the railways could be another of those.

 

[youngiecj]

Just seen this on iplayer. Fantastic programme really enjoyed it. And broadens my resolve to go for a bash over in India !

 

[Glenmutchkin]

Just seen this on iplayer. Fantastic programme really enjoyed it. And broadens my resolve to go for a bash over in India !

India's railways are just amazing. Don't delay your trip for too long. A lot of the interesting stuff is disappearing.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I watched the third episode in this series yesterday. It was featuring the train between Lahore & Delhi, I was a bit confused because the train seemed to have just one name, but indicated that as well as clearing customs and immigration at the borders, passengers also had to change trains there too. ?

 

[yorksrob]

I watched the third episode in this series yesterday. It was featuring the train between Lahore & Delhi, I was a bit confused because the train seemed to have just one name, but indicated that as well as clearing customs and immigration at the borders, passengers also had to change trains there too. ?

I think the passengers had to get off, go through customs and get back on again at one stage. Same train though as far as I could tell.

 

[Clip]

I watched the third episode in this series yesterday. It was featuring the train between Lahore & Delhi, I was a bit confused because the train seemed to have just one name, but indicated that as well as clearing customs and immigration at the borders, passengers also had to change trains there too. ?

They had to get off for customs I believe. Great programme and hope to catch the first 2 episodes on iPlayer this week.

 

[gazthomas]

I've enjoyed all 3 programmes. On last night's episode they definitely had to change trains at the border. The Pakistan train was green, the Indian one was blue - time for colour TV

I was lucky enough to do the sleep from Kolkata to New Jalpaiguri by sleeper last year, then on the majority of the narrow gauge Darjeeling Himalyan Raliway (a short bit of line was closed due to landslips) then later on in the trip I did the electric express from Delhi to Agra,Mohican included at seat service.

As you would expect tickets are ridiculously cheap.

A great adventure:

http://railwayherald.com/imagingcentre/photographer/2421/180

 

[tony6499]

I think the passengers had to get off, go through customs and get back on again at one stage. Same train though as far as I could tell.

It looked green in Pakistan and blue when it left the Indian border station to me

 

[yorksrob]

It looked green in Pakistan and blue when it left the Indian border station to me

Oh dear - telly on the blink

 

[ItchyRsole]

broadens my resolve to go for a bash over in India !

Ooh er how very rude

 

[WatcherZero]

Indian railways in for a major shakeup, committee last week recommended 'competition' (privatisation in all but name, at least as far as becoming state owned companies suitable for future sell off) in the British model to try and inject some life into it. Its currently the 7th largest employer in the world, 1.3m employed because its also provides public services for its employees (schools and hospitals) as well as manufacturing rolling stock (only wagon making has been opened to competition).

Committee recommends separating track and services and allowing open access operators, allowing competition in rolling stock procurement with current manufacturer arm becoming state owned private companies, creating roscos, end non core activities such as providing public services and police, and creating a regulator like ORR to oversee it all.