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Elephants hauled Indore's first rail engine in 1874:Tukojirao II lent ₹1 cr to British, first trial run in 1875, Gandhi ferried twice; now city welcomes metro

Indore1 year agoAuthor: Tarun Tiwari

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to flag off Indore’s first Metro train today, the city not only steps into the future of urban transport but also pays silent tribute to its astonishingly rich and underappreciated railway legacy.

The journey of Indore's railway history began not with steel and steam, but with elephants. In 1874, locals gathered in awe as a steam engine was hauled into the city by elephants and displayed at a street square, long before any commercial track was laid.

This symbolic moment, once forgotten, has been rediscovered through the rare archival collection of renowned historian Zafar Ansari, whose meticulous work has revived Indore’s early railway legacy.

In 1874, elephants brought a railway engine into Indore city and placed on public display at a city square.

Maharaja lent Rs 1 cr to British: railway boosts cotton and opium trade

Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar II was the first to establish the Indore State Cotton Mills in the princely state.

Holkar’s railway vision

Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar II of the Holkar State first envisioned a railway line connecting Indore to Khandwa, not just for connectivity but to drive economic empowerment through trade.
His primary aim was to support the booming cotton and opium trade, especially with global demand rising, notably for opium in China.
While the British supported the idea for military and administrative access to the Mhow cantonment, the Maharaja had broader developmental aspirations for Indore.
The railway plan emerged when Indore had already begun industrialising, marked by the establishment of its first textile unit, the State Mill, in 1866.
In a bold move in 1869, the Holkar Durbar loaned Rs 1 crore to the British at 4.5% interest for 101 years—an astronomical sum at the time and one of the largest princely investments in colonial India.

First trial run from Indore to Mhow in 1875

This rare 1875 photograph captures Indore’s railway station when the rail line between Indore and Mhow had been fully laid. The first trial run on this route was conducted on January 1, 1875. (All Photos courtesy: Zafar Ansari Museum of Indore)

The railway line from Indore to Mhow saw its first successful trial run on January 1, 1875. By 1878, the Indore-Khandwa Holkar State Railway line was operational, opening a commercial lifeline for the region. This line enabled export of mill goods and opium from Indore to Mumbai ports, drastically increasing the state's prosperity.

Renowned Historian Zafar Ansari

The challenges in constructing the line were monumental. Engineers had to navigate rugged terrain, dense forests, and aggressive wildlife, especially during the construction of Tunnel No. 1 and Tunnel No. 2 near Kalakund and Patalpani. Several laborers were reportedly attacked by wild animals during the work. Yet, with perseverance and engineering ingenuity, the route was completed cutting across rivers, hills, and gorges.

said Ansari

During the construction of the Holkar State Railway, several tunnels were built between Mhow and Khandwa. Notably, Tunnel No. 1 and Tunnel No. 2 posed significant engineering challenges, which were successfully overcome by skilled engineers with great expertise and precision.

Gandhi travelled twice, Prince of Wales too ferried

The Holkar State Railway wasn’t just a transport project; it was a strategic tool for modernisation. It connected Indore to broader trade circuits and gave birth to structured public transport within the city. The station area developed into a hub, supported by licensed tongas, bullock carts, and even bicycle rickshaws, marking the city’s first regulated intra-city commute.

This rare photograph of MG Road in Indore was taken in 1912, during a time when bullock carts were commonly used for transportation and the movement of goods.

The Rani Sarai, near the station, was constructed from a donation of Rs 1.25 lakh by the Maharani of Varanasi to ensure that travelers arriving in Indore had dignified accommodation. It came equipped with facilities, setting early examples of passenger welfare.

Even Mahatma Gandhi used the Holkar State Railway twice, and it ferried other notable figures including the Prince of Wales and the Viceroy of India.

Women and warriors: buy shares to contribute in railway development

Govind Rao Chimmanji Rao Bolia Sarkar and Bhimabai Holkar had purchased a large number of shares in the Great Indian Peninsula Railway and invested thousands of British sterling pounds in the company.

The Holkar dynasty's association with railway investment wasn’t limited to rulers. Princess Bhimabai Holkar, daughter of Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar I and a warrior from the Battle of Mahidpur (1817), and Govind Rao Chimmanji Rao Bolia Sarkar had invested heavily in the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, purchasing shares worth thousands of British sterling pounds.

shared Ansari who also researched on rails development in Malwa.

These investments demonstrated the royal family’s commitment to building modern infrastructure and Indore’s growing financial clout in British India.

Post-independence and into the metro age

Indore’s railway infrastructure kept evolving. In 1952, the first railway trial under Shastri Bridge was conducted, and on 12 January 1953, Transport Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri inaugurated the bridge, Indore’s first railway flyover.

As part of a major development plan in Central India, the first railway trial beneath Indore’s Shastri Bridge was conducted in 1952 during its construction. Notably, the city's first railway overpass was formally inaugurated by India’s Transport Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on January 12, 1953.

Maharaja Yeshwantrao Holkar II, post-independence, gifted his private royal saloon—designed by renowned German architect Eckart Muthesius, to India’s first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The salon remains a historic artefact of royal railway travel.

Meanwhile, several bridges and tunnels built for the Holkar State Railway, including one across the Narmada River, showcased engineering excellence. One such bridge, with 14 piers and a 200-foot span, was recently demolished, marking the end of an era.

From elephant-drawn engines to Metro coaches

Indore Metro

From the 1874 display of a steam engine pulled by elephants to the ceremonial launch of the Metro in 2025, Indore’s rail journey is a story of ambition, adversity, and advancement. It’s the tale of a princely state that laid its tracks, literally and metaphorically, towards a modern future.