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DHR Society hosts Union Minister of Indian Railways - 11 July 2006
During a recent intensive tour of Europe a top ranking team from Indian Railways found time in their busy schedule to visit the narrow gauge heritage railway at Leighton Buzzard - home to two steam locomotives that formerly worked in India. Leading the delegation was Shri Lalu Prasad, Union Minister of Railways, accompanied by Shri R Velu, Minister of State for Railways, Shri R R Bhandari, Member Mechanical, Railway Board and Shri S B Ghogh Dastidar, Member Traffic, Railway Board. Waiting to greet them at Leighton Buzzard were senior members of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society (DHRS).
The delegation toured the LBR locomotive shed at Page's Park and inspected locomotive 740 built by Orenstein and Koppel, Germany in 1907 and which once ran on the Matheran line: also a tiny locomotive named Rishra that had worked in an industrial area at Kolkata.
After refreshments Shri Prasad exchanged gifts with David Barrie, Chairman, DHRS who presented him with a framed portrait of a Darjeeling Himalayan Railway B Class locomotive and a briefing pack about the DHRS. Each member of the delegation was also given a presentation pack describing the work of the DHRS and its continued efforts to support Indian Railways in the preservation and sensitive development of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
Said Paul Whittle, Public Relations Officer DHRS: "We were delighted that our Indian visitors found time to visit us at Leighton Buzzard. It demonstrates the determination at the highest levels of Indian Railways to preserve their own railway heritage".
David Barrie, Chairman, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society (right) presents a DHRS briefing pack to Shri Lalu Prasad, Union Minister of Railways. Also present are Shri S B Ghogh Dastidar, Member Traffic (centre left) and Shr R Velu, Minister of State for Railways (right centre).
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