India's First Locomotive Memorial, Roorkee (Jenny Lind, 1851)
Roorkee, Uttarakhand · exhibition
- Days OpenOpen daily
- Entry FeeFree Entry
In the annals of Indian railways, Roorkee holds a claim that even Mumbai cannot make: it is here, on the flat canal plains of the Ganges Doab, that a steam locomotive first turned its wheels on Indian soil. In 1851 the engineer Proby Cautley was raising the colossal Solani aqueduct — the masonry viaduct that carries the newly cut Ganges Canal over the Solani river near Roorkee. To move the enormous quantity of earth needed for the approach embankments, a small imported tank engine was set to work hauling wagons of spoil along a temporary track. On 22 December 1851 this construction railway ran a freight service between Roorkee and Kaliyar (about 10 km away) — India's first working steam locomotive, a full two years before the celebrated Bombay–Thane passenger line of April 1853.
Where to Eat Nearby
- ✦Traditional mithai bhandars on Civil Lines / Railway Road – pure-vegetarian by tradition; good for barfi, laddoo and rabri; confirm the counter is fully veg.
- ✦Pure-veg South Indian and thali houses around BT Ganj / Civil Lines – reported vegetarian dosa-idli and North Indian thali spots; verify pure-veg status before ordering.
- ✦IIT Roorkee campus-area vegetarian eateries – simple veg canteens and cafes near the campus gate; ask for the pure-veg option.
- ✦Roadside chaat and samosa stalls near the station – vegetarian snacks; choose a busy, clean stall and confirm the oil is fresh.
About
In the annals of Indian railways, Roorkee holds a claim that even Mumbai cannot make: it is here, on the flat canal plains of the Ganges Doab, that a steam locomotive first turned its wheels on Indian soil.
- In 1851 the engineer Proby Cautley was raising the colossal Solani aqueduct — the masonry viaduct that carries the newly cut Ganges Canal over the Solani river near Roorkee.
- To move the enormous quantity of earth needed for the approach embankments, a small imported tank engine was set to work hauling wagons of spoil along a temporary track.
- On 22 December 1851 this construction railway ran a freight service between Roorkee and Kaliyar (about 10 km away) — India's first working steam locomotive, a full two years before the celebrated Bombay–Thane passenger line of April 1853.
- The little engine is documented as "Jenny Lind," specially shipped from England to work on the canal project — the name recorded by histories of the Roorkee line.
- It is sometimes loosely linked to the name "Thomason," but that name properly belongs to James Thomason, the reforming Lieutenant-Governor commemorated in Roorkee's Thomason College of Civil Engineering (founded 1847, India's first engineering college, today IIT Roorkee) — an association with the town's engineering legacy, not the locomotive's own name.
- Historians are candid that the record is patchy and the original machine has long since vanished.
- What survives is the memory and the place — and a heritage locomotive replica displayed at Roorkee Railway Station, where interpretive boards recall the town's status as the cradle of Indian railway engineering.
- The plinthed engine is a modest, unglamorous monument, but for anyone interested in how the subcontinent was first stitched together by rail, it is a genuine point of origin.
- Roorkee itself is an engineering town through and through — a place of canals, headworks, workshops and the sprawling IIT campus, rather than a tourist resort.
- A visit to the locomotive pairs naturally with a walk along the Upper Ganges Canal and a look at the Solani aqueduct, the very structure the first train was built to serve.
- The whole cluster tells a single coherent story of Victorian-era hydraulic and railway engineering in one compact canal town.
- Because Roorkee is an ordinary plains town where kitchens are mixed, vegetarian travellers should choose deliberately: stick to the town's long-established sweet shops (mithai bhandars are pure-vegetarian by tradition) and clearly signed pure-veg South Indian and thali houses around Civil Lines and BT Ganj, and confirm the kitchen is fully vegetarian before ordering.
- Carry water, as there is little shade at the station memorial itself.
Timings & Entry Fee
Verified: August 2026
Location & How to Reach
Address
Roorkee Railway Station, Railway Road, near Civil Lines, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, 247667
How to Reach: Roorkee Railway Station sits on Railway Road beside Civil Lines, on the Delhi–Haridwar–Dehradun line, so most trains toward Haridwar stop here. From Haridwar it is about 30 km (45–60 minutes by road or a short train hop); from Roorkee's bus stand or IIT campus an auto-rickshaw to the station costs roughly ₹40–70. There is no metro in Roorkee — auto-rickshaw, cycle-rickshaw and shared tempo are the local modes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was India's first steam locomotive really at Roorkee, not Mumbai?
Yes. In 1851 a small imported steam engine hauled earth-wagons on a construction railway built for the Solani aqueduct near Roorkee, running a freight service to Kaliyar on 22 December 1851. This was two years before the famous Bombay–Thane passenger line of 1853, which is usually remembered as India's first railway. Roorkee's train was for construction, not passengers, which is why the Bombay line still holds the 'first passenger railway' title.
Can I see the original 1851 locomotive?
No — the original engine has not survived, and historical records of it are incomplete. Histories of the Roorkee line record the little engine as "Jenny Lind." What you can see is a heritage locomotive replica displayed at Roorkee Railway Station, along with interpretive boards recalling the town's railway-engineering history. Treat it as a commemorative memorial rather than the actual 1851 engine.
What is the connection to the name 'Thomason'?
The engine itself is documented as "Jenny Lind." The name 'Thomason' belongs to James Thomason, the Lieutenant-Governor commemorated by Roorkee's engineering college — Thomason College of Civil Engineering, founded in 1847 as India's first engineering college and today IIT Roorkee. The 'Thomason' link reflects Roorkee's identity as the cradle of Indian civil and railway engineering, not the locomotive's actual name.
How do I reach the memorial and is there an entry fee?
The replica stands in the Roorkee Railway Station precinct on Railway Road, beside Civil Lines. There is no ticket for the memorial itself, though reaching a platform display may require an ordinary platform ticket (reported around ₹10 — confirm locally). Roorkee is about 30 km from Haridwar and is a regular stop on the Delhi–Haridwar–Dehradun line, so it is easy to reach by train or road.
What else can I combine with a visit?
The story makes most sense on the ground: pair the locomotive with a walk to the Solani aqueduct — the masonry viaduct carrying the Ganges Canal over the Solani river, which the first train was built to serve — and a stroll along the Upper Ganges Canal and headworks. The IIT Roorkee heritage campus, descendant of Thomason College, is close by. Together they make a compact half-day of Victorian engineering heritage.
Where can vegetarians eat near Roorkee station?
Roorkee is a mixed plains town, so choose deliberately. The town's traditional mithai bhandars (sweet shops) on Civil Lines and Railway Road are pure-vegetarian by tradition, and there are clearly signed pure-veg South Indian and thali houses around BT Ganj and Civil Lines. Always confirm the kitchen is fully vegetarian before ordering, and pick busy, clean stalls for snacks.
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