"The Shakuntala Railway line in Maharashtra is India's only railway route still under British ownership, a rare colonial holdover that persists more than seven decades after Independence.
This 190-kilometer narrow gauge line, running between Yavatmal and Achalpur, was constructed between 1903 and 1913 by Killick Nixon & Company, a British firm, to transport cotton from Amravati to Mumbai’s ports for shipment to Manchester’s textile mills.
The line was operated through its subsidiary, the Central Province Railway Company (CPRC), and unlike most private railway networks, it was not nationalized in 1951, remaining under British control.
Even today, the Indian government pays an annual royalty of approximately ₹1.2 crore to Killick Nixon for the use of this railway track.
The line was historically managed by just seven employees who performed all tasks manually, including signaling, ticket sales, and engine handling, reflecting its old-school operations.
The route originally used a Manchester-made steam engine dating back to 1921, which served for over seven decades before being replaced by a diesel engine in 1994.
The only passenger train on this line, the Shakuntala Passenger, covered the 190 km stretch in nearly 20 hours, stopping at 17 stations, and was a vital, affordable transport link for residents of the region.
However, services have been halted in recent years due to the government's plan to convert the track to broad gauge, although locals continue to demand its restoration.
The line’s signals and infrastructure still bear British-era markings, including a "Made in Liverpool" tag on the lever-frame signals.
Negotiations regarding the future of this unusual ownership arrangement are reportedly ongoing, with Indian Railways considering the acquisition of the line. According to a 2020 report, the Indian government had not paid the usage fee since October 2002, citing high repair costs, and estimated that acquiring the line could cost about ₹12 crore based on revenue share agreements.
The Indian Railways has also sanctioned a 1,500 crore project to convert the narrow gauge line into broad gauge, which would improve connectivity between Delhi and Chennai, Bengaluru"