Belagavi :

Castlerock railway station located amid dense forest of Western Ghats and just 15kms away from famous Doodhsagar waterfalls has become the darling of movie makers since the actor Shah Rukh Khan starrer bollywood blockbuster Chennai Express and Kannada movie ‘Maina’ released an year ago.

Scenes of the historical railway station and surrounding attractive sites in both movies have made this area popular and caused for increase in the number of travellers, especially adventure lovers. Castlerock is a hamlet with just around 2,000 population located in North-Kannada district. It’s located just 75 kms away from Belagavi and within 2kms from Goa border.

Before independence, this rail line was the link between British held India and Portuguese held Goa. Said to be that, British government had laid railway tracks up to Londa in Karnataka border. However, on the request of Portuguese, the meter gauge link was extended up to Vasco-da-Gama in Goa around at the ending years of 19th Century. This link was using for transportation of goods.

There was a check-post at the Castlerock railway station where one couldn’t cross the border without passport. Said to be that, restriction of passport had relaxed for some years in between but it was again imposed with the Goa Liberation Movement intensified. Despite Castlerock railway station was under British ruled area, it built and managed by the Portuguese government. The roofing of the station has turbulence structure. Roofing structures of Kulem, Sanverdum, Madgaon, Vasco-da-Gama and Mormugao railway stations in Goa are also same which built by the Portuguese. This meter gauge was developed into broad gauge in 1990s.

There are over 800-railway employees serve at Castlerock railway station in different departments like- operating, engineering, signal, inspecting of works (IOW) and electrical. This station is meant for transportation of goods. Manganese and iron ore from Hospeth is transported to Mormugao port. At present around 40 goods trains pass through this station while hardly two or three passenger trains. The number of goods trains have been reduced after imposing ban on lifting iron ore in Ballary district. Speaking to the TOI, station superintendent D Revanasiddappa said there is demand for more passenger trains especially during rainy season, when travelers make rush to see Doodhsagar waterfalls.

In this small hamlet, there is a railway institute, railway English medium convent school, railway health unit etc., for railway employees. According to senior railway manager R K Sinha, rainy season is continued for five months- May to September in this area. These days are very boring, as children can’t play out of home besides fungus captures buildings and even cloths due to constant moisture. Leeches are the big problem during raining which the load shedding is common, he said.

Apart from Doodhsagar waterfalls, there are also popular waterfalls in Kuveshi and Aveda, just 6-7kms distance from Castlerock. Train passes through Desur, Khanapur, Gunji, Londa and Tinaye Ghat railway stations to reach Belagavi to Castlerock.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bengaluru / by Ravindra Uppar, TNN / February 25th, 2015