Life at TGT - Tinaighat (11)

Note : Railway Diaries follows the Number on the Post Title

Iron ore from Toranagal and Bellary mines get loaded to train no. TGT SPL and is on a wild run to reach it’s destination – Vasco port where it gets loaded to the ship bound abroad. This is the only goods train that runs on top priority and leaves a red trail even to the extent of stopping an express at the crossing.

There is the ship at Vasco in Goa waiting to get loaded with the red dust which is worth crores and runs the lives of thousands of families. For the running staff it’s a matter of pride to be driving the iron ore special which is bound for Vasco directly or to Tinaighat which is a station located between Londa and Castle Rock.

This is a station where you see activity day and night, in rain and in shine. There’s no room for errors and leisure and there’s no time to wipe the sweat off your face whether it be an old man, a woman or a child. These are mostly laborers from Andhra Pradesh and northern Karnataka. Because of the number of trains that arrive at Vasco and the shortage of lines and staff, railways don’t want any delay in the shipment of the ore and hence the pit stop called Tinaighat. The trains destined to Vasco are terminated here and the iron ore gets unloaded here at Tinaighat and from Tinaighat to Vasco it goes by Trucks.

As soon as the train reaches Tinaighat station the laborers run towards the train and in groups of four or five take on each vehicle. The total load that has to be unloaded is 5,500 Tons and efficiency being at its best the train gets unloaded in approximately 90 minutes. One has to see the action of the shovels which is synchronous and also the flow of sweat and the movement of the muscles which will leave you spell bound.

Sometimes it would make you sad to see the children and women in that laborious process, but you know it’s survival and people have chosen the hard way rather than turning to some anti-social activity. When they carry the pride of being honest and hard working there is no room for softness and you just salute them for the hard work they do.

Whenever I got an opportunity I would speak to them, listen intently to the narration of the life in the huts and most importantly about their health. It was really surprising that some of them had worked for about ten years loading and unloading the ore and they don’t remember the last time they fell ill or visited a doctor.

Life is really not about repenting or cursing your fate that HE chose you to play in the dust day in and out… It’s about the gratitude that HE chose you because you were the best and HE built you out of that clay that hasn’t heard of any disease.

My sincere thanks and regards to all those that work in Tinaighat, who shared their experiences with me and taught the courage that a man should possess when he walks alone in the wild.