MUMBAI, Nov. 29 -- Time was when boarding a train to Ahmedabad was a 22-hour journey - it included a 14-hour night halt at Surat and a ferry ride across the Narmada ("Nerbudda") River. Telling this story is an ageing sheet of brown paper neatly framed on a wall in the heritage gallery at the Western Railway (WR) headquarters at Churchgate. Dating to the British colonial era, it's the first-ever timetable of the railway, then known as the Bombay, Baroda and Central India (BB&CI) Railway. It notes the inaugural run between Bombay and Ahmedabad, marking the launch of the BB&CI's operations in India exactly 161 years ago - on November 28, 1864. Printed in italics, the timetable is the only document left that marks this historic event. Issued by JB Hayes, then the Traffic Manager of the BB&CI, it is quite elaborate. "The above named RAILWAY will be opened throughout from Bombay to Ahmedabad for passenger traffic on and after MONDAY, the 28th. Trains will run as follows.," states the header of the timetable, divided into two segments "Down Train to Ahmedabad" and "Up Train to Bombay", with a further segregation detailing distance in Miles, Station and Time. The inaugural train departed from Grant Road station, the first terminus of the BB&CI, at 7am. According to railway officials, the train pulled out from what is now platform 4, where the railway building still stands, and reached Ahmedabad 22 hours later. After halting at 32 stations, it pulled in at Ahmedabad at 5pm on November 29, covering a distance of 306 miles. In today's terms, the train halted at Mahim, Bandra (Bandora), Vasai (Bassein Road), Palghar (Palghur), Boisar (Bysur) and Dahanu (Dhanoo Road). Sources in the WR said the train made a 14-hour overnight halt at Surat - passengers deboarded at 5.10pm on day 1, before boarding the same train the next day at 7am, to proceed. "There was a Refreshment Room and Travellers' Bungalow at Surat, where passengers stayed overnight. Passengers deboarded once again before the Narmada River (Nerbudda) to take the ferry across," the official said. The ferry crossing too was divided into three sections - 1st Class tickets costing six annas each, 2nd Class costing three annas each, and 3rd Class costing one anna each. Passengers choosing 1st and 2nd Class could make use of "palkees" (palkhis) for an extra Rs 2 per passenger. Likewise, horses could be ferried across the river at the same additional charge. Four-wheel vehicles and two-wheelers were charged Rs 3 and Rs 2 per passenger, respectively. The heritage gallery also displays plaques showcasing the logos of the BB&CI along with other state railways. There is also a Bombay, Baroda and Central India map, showing the train route, which starts from Bombay, then snakes through Gujarat, Delhi and enters Pakistan, touching the cities of Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar....