Prelude

“Where the mind is without fear…

And the head is held high…

Where knowledge is free…

Where the world has not been broken up

into fragments by narrow domestic walls….”

The organization which chugs along and is a vibrant witness to each and every walk of life in the eastern part of our country – the Eastern Railway has entered into its 150^th   year of formidable existence.  Opening its innings in 1854, it is pounding at a score of one and half century and is still not out. 

The geographical reaches of Eastern Railway which was the erstwhile East Indian Railway have undergone a phased expansion.  Starting from a 40 km. line from Howrah to Hooghly, its lines extended to Ghaziabad and also to far reaches of North Bengal and Bangladesh at the time of our independence.  At present, the Eastern Railway caters to the three states of West Bengal, Jharkhand & Bihar and has a total network of 2382.38 route kilometres.

            As one turns the pages of “Symphony of Progress”, one traverses the various eras of history through which the dream of Prince Dwarkanath Tagore has become an enviable reality.  The Eastern Railway at present is a testimony of the years of indomitable energy and hard work which has made it the lifeline of the eastern sector.

            The development of Eastern Railway over the years and its evolution from its mother, the East Indian Railway has been supported intrinsically by simultaneous technological creations and inputs in the fields of tracks, rolling stock, passenger services and Signalling systems.  It is but imperative for Eastern Railway to remember the various stages through which it has grown, matured and flowered into an organization to reckon with.

            It is an intriguing fact to note that the Indian Railway system as a whole has had an everlasting effect on stamps of yesterday and today.  “Symphony of Progress” as such photogenically highlights the various facets of historical evolution, landmarks achieved and philatelic infusions which have created an organization which every Indian is proud of and is an enjoyable journey when read

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