Old Railway Bridge on Sutlej at Phillaur - Built in 1870

The  Single Line Railway Bridge on the Sutlej at Phillaur ( near Ludhiana )sandwiched between the Double Line Railway Bridge upstream and Double Road Road Bridge Down stream , is  now  , Abandoned  .

Pic of the Old Bridge :-

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tVOHfSdbfXQ/maxresdefault.jpg

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It was built n the year 1870 during the construction of Railway Line in Punjab by  Scinde, Punjab - Delhi Railway.



http://www.railnews.co.in/indus-flotilla-railway/

http://www.irfca.org/gallery/Foreign/KarachiKotri/Indus_flotilla_map.jpg.html

Scinde, Punjab, Delhi 's Logo



http://www.irfca.org/gallery/Heritage/zonal_logos/scinde-punjab-delhi-rly-logo.jpg.html

https://www.google.co.in/search?q=scinde+punjab+and+delhi+railway&espv=2&biw=1024&bih=653&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjd2vfu3LDKAhWRCY4KHVFTBwIQsAQIPA&dpr=1#imgrc=Zo8I0wXAd_odZM%3A

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This 1870 Bridge changed the way Sutlej was crossed . 

Earlier ,it appears , there used to be a temporary Boat Bridge which was dismantled during floods 

An example of Boat bridge 

( Note : This one is on River Ravi )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_River#/media/File:Ravi_River_in_1880.jpg

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=qFdJbRywbKwC&pg=PA44&lpg=PA44&dq=1870+sutlej+railway+bridge&source=bl&ots=NW80L6XUbh&sig=Da8d6GcCoRQkCQOQb5sDMR0qWjM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1l9KS1erKAhUIGY4KHQ3bCcwQ6AEILDAD#v=onepage&q=1870%20sutlej%20railway%20bridge&f=false

Sometimes , individuals crossed the Rivers using inflated complete Buffalo skins

http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xt/543827459.jpg?v=1&g=fs2%7C0%7Ceditorial289%7C27%7C459&s=1

 There  were also " Ferry  Crossing ) " Beydi s "  at the famous Pattan at Phillaur. 

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After 1870 , Ferry Crossing came to an end at Phillaur.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120520/spectrum/main3.htm

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The railway bridge was , also used as Road Bridge. Road traffic was closed when ever Trains passed.

Some what like this. ( NOT THIS BRIDGE ) To give an idea ONLY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lCba1sXPqY

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Some time later , the Double Line Railway Bridge was built ( just upstream  of Old Rail / Road  Bridge ).


Please study this Google Pic carefully. You would notice the slight deviation in alignment of  the railway lines direction  , approaching the River Sutlej , on both sides , to adjust for the new twin railway bridges :-

http://wikimapia.org/3832590/Old-Rail-Bridge

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The Old 1870 built Bridge was handed over to PWD and was continued to be used solely as  a Road Bridge

As it was a single railway line bridge , road traffic was alternating One Way Traffic ( as were the Old Beas Bridge at GT Road , Beas and old Yamuna Bridge at Kalanaur ( Yamunanagar- Saharanpur ) .

This road bridge continued to be operational till early 1970 s when the first new road bridge ( just downstream ) was built  ( by Gammon India ).

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We wish the old 1870 Historical Bridge be preserved as a National Heritage.

Present state of the Bridge

http://www.gettyimages.de/detail/nachrichtenfoto/india-children-walk-along-an-old-bridge-at-phillaur-nachrichtenfoto/489795472



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