In Solapur district, a stretch of railway history is getting a fresh look, and it includes a major reminder of what well-built stone masonry can do over time.
Since 2021, Raj P. Mhamane, a junior official in the Safety Branch of Central Railway’s Solapur division, has been surveying and documenting stations that fell out of use, partially submerged alignments, and engineering works that date back to the mid-19th century. His compilation tracks remnants tied to early rail expansion by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, the predecessor of today’s Central Railway.
Among the most striking structures in the report is the Bhima river railway bridge, built entirely of stone masonry. The bridge is about 1,317 feet long and made up of 28 segmental arches assembled from thousands of shaped masonry blocks. Even though the original railway alignment has vanished, the bridge itself is still standing. The report notes the bridge cost Rs 2.6 lakh to build, a major investment in the 1800s.
The documentation also points to other stone arch bridges, embankments, and railway remnants near places like Katraj, Pomalwadi, and Bhigwan, where older and newer alignments converged over the years. Some stations disappeared altogether, while others, including Jeur, Bhalwani, Mohol, and Solapur, continued operating and were later modernized with added lines, electrification, and updated signaling.
For the built environment, work like this matters because photos, measurements, and location details can become the baseline for future preservation decisions. When historic arches, abutments, and masonry joints are still in service, or still standing, good records help engineers and repair teams understand what’s there before any maintenance or restoration work is planned.
Read the full, original article from Mid-Day here.