Century Old Railway Service in Khasi Hills

By Uma Purkayastha 

Meghalaya does not have a railway link at present which makes Shillong the only state capital in India without a railway connection. But how interesting is it to think that in the same place, i.e. in the Khasi Hills, there was an operational Railway service around 140 years ago! It was a perfect railway network with Calcutta (now Kolkata) from ‘Cherra through the plains of present Bangladesh. The name of the railway service was, ‘The Cherra Companyganj State Railway’ (CCSR). It was a contemporary to the ‘Darjeeling Himalayan Railway’ (DHR), where the latter is still functional in all its might and currently on the World Heritage list too.

The CCSR in the Khasi Hills (present Meghalaya) opened to traffic on 6th June 1886. It gives me great pleasure to think that, a century ago, our people from this quaint hill station could construct a pleasant railway journey through the bumpy and hilly topography.

‘The ambitious railway project was conceptualised by a British engineer in India, H Kench, after a need arose to connect Shillong, the then capital of the British Province, to Calcutta (now Kolkata) by rail, since carts had difficulty in negotiating mule tracks and roads on the steep slope of the Khasi Hills’.

The total cost of building the mountain railway project covering a total distance of 15 miles was just about eight lakh rupees only!

It was a successful railway service in the hill tracks, covering a distance of 7.5 miles (12.5 kms). Passengers and goods were ferried between Tharia and Companyganj (present Bangladesh). The regular railway service was actually laid from Cherrapunji (Sohra) to Mawsmai, starting in 1886. [‘The Final Frontier’]

People from Cherrapunji (Sohra) and Khasi Hills made regular memorable trips on one of the most romantic mountain railways of the world, ‘Cherra Companyganj State Railways’ (CCSR).

Unfortunately, after 10 years of impeccable service, the most disastrous earthquake of Assam in 1897 destroyed all of it which completely destroyed the railway lines and tracks. It was a big catastrophe! Till date, the trace and remains of railway bridges are found in nearby villages of Cherrapunji (Sohra). It was a great loss! The CCSR is relegated to the pages of history!

Another important achievement of the then British Government was the Ropeway service from Cherrapunji (Sohra) to Bholaganj, which was valid till Independence. It was a regular service carrying all heavy goods like luggage, bricks, iron, and rods. But all of it  has vanished today though carrying the glorious memory of the past.[Ref: https://www.deccanherald.com]

‘History of Shillong’ by B. Dutta Roy.

https://sohra.gov.in/britishlegacy.html.