Indian Railways create virtual museums to showcase rich heritage

The Railways, which owns a host of UNESCO world heritage sites including three mountain railways, is using Internet to create virtual museums to showcase its 160-year-old heritage. The British era steam locomotives, wooden body coaches, narrow and meter gauge rolling stock, stations and office buildings, among others, will be displayed online to make them accessible for a wider range of people. This can also be accessed on a mobile phone.

"With advent of technology and wider reach of Internet, heritage displays need not be limited to collections in museums and galleries or in form of outdoor exhibits near prominent places like stations and administrative offices. Indian Railways is collaborating with technology partners for creating a pan-India virtual museum in a digital web enabled platform," said a senior railway ministry official.

Virtual museum shall also feature a 'contributory or crowd sourcing mode' for soliciting contributions from a large group of people, and especially from online communities. Such digital platform, already operational in some large museums in India, can also serve as 'on-line' repository of knowledge on Railway heritage, useful to students, tourists, research scholars and citizens, the official said. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, in his budget speech this year, had emphasised promotion of tourism through world heritage railways and museums.

Indian Railways owns four UNESCO accorded world heritage sites -- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999), Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005), Kalka Shimla Railway (2008) and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai (2004). There are two more in waiting or in the tentative list namely Matheran Light Railway and Kangra Valley Railway. Similarly, iconic station and office buildings at Mumbai (Victoria Terminus, Bandra Suburban, Churchgate), Howrah, Garden Reach (BNR Office), Chennai Egmore, Royapuram, Lucknow, Madurai, etc, bear identities of their respective cities.

At present, Indian Railways maintains 34 museums, heritage parks and heritage galleries, spread all over India, for creating unique and rich experience to visitors about railway heritage in India. The National Rail Museum in New Delhi and Regional Rail Museums at Chennai, Mysore and Howrah are iconic tourist destinations in their region.

The Indian Railways has also preserved about 230 steam locomotives, 110 vintage coaches and wagons at prominent places including museums, heritage parks, etc, for public display. Many of these rolling stocks are more than 100 years old and they bring back memories of old glory to the mind of the viewers.

The Indian Railways is also preserving about 16 steam locomotives as working heritage. Although, not in regular service, these preserved steam locomotives are still capable of hauling tourist trains and ceremonial running.

In association with Mail Today Bureau