The Jatinga Steam Safari is a promotional venture of the NFR to enable tourists to savour the scenic beauty of the region. 

North East News Agency

Jatinga is celebrating its centenary. The centenary celebrations starts from December 28 and apart from tourists will also attract ornithologists for the bird suicide mystery attached to the place. And to commemorate the centenary celebrations, the North East Frontier Railway (NFR) is highlighting its unique ‘Jatinga Steam Safari” to boost the tourism potential of this fascinating place.

The Jatinga Steam Safari is a promotional venture of the NFR to enable tourists to savour the scenic beauty of one of the most spectacular mountain lines on Indian Railways. As part of the erstwhile Assam Bengal Railway, this line was linked with Chittagong Port (now in Bangladesh). The construction of the line started in 1899 from the Silchar end and was completed in 1903 which by itself was a major technical feat due to the tricky hilly nature of its terrain and its impenetrable thick bamboo jungles. Construction of this line, dotted with 37 tunnels and 565 bridges, the most famous being the Dayang viaduct (1899 vintage) saw the death of many people including railway men. The graves of some of them, which still lie along the line, bear the testimony to this fact.

The journey commences on a broad gauge from Guwahati up to Lumding. The hill sojourn then starts from Lumding on meter gauge. The exclusive coach for the safari is attached to the Cachar Express at Lumding and is from the train at Lower Haflong. The road journey starts from Lumding early in the morning. Tourists can have a magnificent view of the sunrise over Barail range. Next stop is the Jatinga village – site of the unusual bird suicide phenomenon.

Then it is back to the track. The ride on the exclusive steam hauled tourist train starts from the picturesque Lower Haflong station. Soon the breathtaking scenes of the Cachar Hills will unfold. The awe inspiring marvels like the Dayang Viaduct on a fascinating gorge, Mahur tunnel and several other small stations with the Raj nostalgia along the beautiful valley and rivers become an experience of the lifetime.

Between Lower Langting and Dihaku stations, one encounters the graves of three dedicated railway men of the Assam Bengal Railway who lost their lives during the construction of the line. Surely, Jatinga Steam Safari is going to be one of the most memorable experiences of life.

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