0:00:03 > 0:00:06Throughout its 5,000-year history,
0:00:06 > 0:00:11the Indian subcontinent has suffered numerous invasions.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13The last was by the British.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And among their greatest legacies were the railways
0:00:19 > 0:00:22which fanned out to the very edges of their Indian empire.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27But they quit India in 1947,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29and hurriedly partitioned the subcontinent.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Now many of the old railway routes crossed the new frontiers
0:00:35 > 0:00:36and were terminated.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39A few survived.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42They are India's frontier railways.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15In 1927, a British civil servant drew a line on a map
0:01:15 > 0:01:18to define the border between their British Indian empire
0:01:18 > 0:01:20and the Kingdom of Nepal.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22TRANSLATION:
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Today, that line is still marked
0:01:32 > 0:01:34by a chain of boundary stones and pillars.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45For the locals, it's a border that is almost invisible
0:01:45 > 0:01:50and their national identity is just a blip of administrative history.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53INTERVIEWER:
0:02:01 > 0:02:05CHILDREN SHOUT
0:02:09 > 0:02:13The British also made another line, a railway line,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15to carry wood from Nepal to India.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20- TRAIN HORN BLARES - The forests were stripped years ago,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22yet the railway is still running.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28It travels just 20 miles
0:02:28 > 0:02:30from Janakpur in Nepal
0:02:30 > 0:02:32to Jaynagar in India
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and crosses the flimsy border twice a day.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41This is a border with no gates,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44no barbed wire, no fences, no guards,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47or even immigration checks.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49So, there's nothing to break the journey
0:02:49 > 0:02:51of this 80-year-old service.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58Instead, its biggest problem is whether the train will run at all.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01The Nepal Railway Company is broke
0:03:01 > 0:03:05and its last working train keeps breaking down.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08DRIVER SOUNDS HORN
0:03:08 > 0:03:09DRIVER:
0:03:12 > 0:03:15It's no surprise that there are regular minor derailments.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17They're mostly due to overloading.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22But each train cancellation is a disaster,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24both for the passengers and the workers.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29For them all, this border line train is, literally, a lifeline.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37This is the story of the last train in Nepal.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54TRANSLATION:
0:04:07 > 0:04:10The line was once owned by the King of Nepal,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12a country never colonised by the British.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Once, three narrow-gauge trains a day
0:04:23 > 0:04:26made the 20-mile run to India,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28but now there's just one service,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30and the only engine has broken down.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40So, at the Nepal end of the line, at Janakpur Station,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43they haven't seen a train for eight days.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00One of the regulars waiting for the train to India is Regina.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03She uses the train to smuggle in
0:05:03 > 0:05:06cheap clothes and household goods from India.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11She's a courier for shopkeepers in Janakpur,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14earning a few rupees commission from every run.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Without the train, her commission has dried up,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21and she has two teenage sons and a mother to feed.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44With every new breakdown,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48the fear of final closure hangs more heavily over the line
0:05:48 > 0:05:52and its 150 employees and their families.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Armaan is a ticket checker for Nepal Railways.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00A generation ago, his was a prized job
0:06:00 > 0:06:02with a steady income and a pension.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07But like the rest of his colleagues,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Armaan hasn't been paid for some time
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Each day the train doesn't run,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Armaan has to face the ever-more frustrated and angry passengers.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37MAN SHOUTS
0:07:14 > 0:07:19Kathmandu is the head office of the government run Railway Department.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22CAR HORNS BLARE
0:07:22 > 0:07:26But it seems they're looking to the future, not the past.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Theirs is a vision with five new lines to India,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and passing through the Himalayas, a new border line to China.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Being a sandwiched country
0:07:38 > 0:07:41between big neighbours China and India,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44we'd will like to facilitate their trade as well.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48So, we are dreaming of connecting
0:07:48 > 0:07:51through Nepal, India and China.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55These plans rely on foreign investment,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58and that's all still 'under discussion'.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01THEY SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
0:08:04 > 0:08:08At the moment, the Janakpur line is simply not on the agenda.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31For this little line, the cupboard is bare.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Short of a miracle, the historic Janakpur line is doomed.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Back in Janakpur,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02effectively abandoned by their management,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05the railway workers discuss their options.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12The only chance of getting any wages
0:09:12 > 0:09:15is for the train to run, to sell tickets
0:09:15 > 0:09:17and generate some cash for the railway,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19and for themselves.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23And that means mending the engine
0:09:23 > 0:09:24and getting it back on the line.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Because without the engine, there's no train.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33No train, no job.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42A vote settles it.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45They'll work unpaid to keep the line alive.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53The engine is dispatched to the Khajuri Repair Yard and Workshops,
0:09:53 > 0:09:5715 miles away, towards the Indian end of the line.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06Vilas Mandal, ace mechanic, is Nepal Railways go-to man
0:10:06 > 0:10:07in an engine crisis.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Three rusting engines, way beyond repair,
0:10:22 > 0:10:23are his emergency stores.
0:10:29 > 0:10:3220 years ago, the Indian Government presented
0:10:32 > 0:10:34four diesel engines to Nepal
0:10:34 > 0:10:36to replace their ageing steam engines.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44And here in Khajori, right beside the maintenance shed,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46they've been unceremoniously dumped.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54However, amongst their rusting carcasses,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57their industrial heritage is still visible.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Basudev Mandal was born 80 years ago
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and he's the last surviving steam loco driver
0:11:22 > 0:11:23on the Janakpur line.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28BASUDEV:
0:11:59 > 0:12:03MEN SHOUT
0:12:12 > 0:12:16News of the resumption of the service soon reaches Janakpur.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Regina starts informing the local shopkeepers and taking orders.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40It took Vilas and his team just two days
0:12:40 > 0:12:47to resuscitate Nepal Railway's last surviving engine ZDM 524.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49ENGINE STARTS
0:12:51 > 0:12:53The engine is bound for Janakpur.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:13:05 > 0:13:08With a little luck, the train will be able to hook up
0:13:08 > 0:13:10with its coaches and wagons
0:13:10 > 0:13:11and proudly announce that
0:13:11 > 0:13:15the long delayed seven down 3.30 afternoon service
0:13:15 > 0:13:17to Jaynagar in India
0:13:17 > 0:13:18is running again.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30With the good news,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33a dormant Janakpur Station springs back to life.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Medicine sellers, magicians,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39chai wallahs, tourists,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42and even train spotters from China,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45they jostle for space with passengers and goods.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Not everybody, however, believes the train will run.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01But when the ticket window opens,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03even the sceptics are convinced.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06The train is definitely running.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08A standard ticket from Janakpur to Jaynagar
0:14:08 > 0:14:13costs 29 Nepali rupees - about 20 pence.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18Bicycles and small animals cost another 10 rupees each way.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23These modest fares are the railway's sole source of income
0:14:23 > 0:14:26to buy diesel and pay wages.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Fare dodging is rife,
0:14:28 > 0:14:33and Armaan has the hapless task of persuading everyone to buy a ticket.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48A ticket is no guarantee of a seat on Nepal Railways.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50There are no reservations
0:14:50 > 0:14:53on the four or five official coaches or goods wagons.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58So, with a thousand passengers and their luggage,
0:14:58 > 0:14:59space is at a premium.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04FAST PACED MUSIC
0:15:13 > 0:15:15TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:15:17 > 0:15:21As a regular, Regina confidently takes her usual place
0:15:21 > 0:15:23on the open goods wagon.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26She'll share the 20-mile journey with commuters, migrants,
0:15:26 > 0:15:31other smugglers, animals, cycles, even trees.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Just about anything and anyone travels on this train.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56BELL RINGS
0:15:56 > 0:15:58After 12 days of waiting,
0:15:58 > 0:16:03the 3.30 down service to Jaynagar in India finally sets off
0:16:03 > 0:16:04bang on time.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07TRAIN HORN SOUNDS
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Travelling at a top speed of 10mph,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55it should complete the 20-mile journey to the border
0:16:55 > 0:16:58in about three hours.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02But with a capacity load and seven stops along the way,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04it's hardly ever on time.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07But none of its passengers care about punctuality
0:17:07 > 0:17:09so long as the train is running.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39The train passes through one of the poorest regions
0:17:39 > 0:17:42of one of the poorest countries of the world.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Working in the fields provides, at best,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48a barely subsistence living.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00REGINA:
0:18:11 > 0:18:13For a single mother of two,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16the train at least offers some financial security.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20REGINA:
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Deserted by her husband at the age of 19,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Regina has brought up her two sons Rehmat and Sehmat
0:18:36 > 0:18:39on her smuggling income.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40Right from the time they were young,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43the boys have been working with their mother.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Education was not an option for them.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19REGINA:
0:19:22 > 0:19:26In Nepal, Regina and women like her are not regarded as smugglers.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29They provide an essential service.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31PASSENGERS SING
0:19:31 > 0:19:36Locals call them blackiniya, black marketeers.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40Smuggler is a term they reserve for those who bring in contraband,
0:19:40 > 0:19:41like drugs and weapons.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46REGINA:
0:20:12 > 0:20:16In Janakpur, after a successful send off to the train,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Armaan is happy that they've kept the railway going...
0:20:19 > 0:20:21at least, for the time being.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32CHILDREN SHOUT
0:20:33 > 0:20:36But his financial worries haven't gone away.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40He has to depend on his father, a jobbing tailor,
0:20:40 > 0:20:41or on credit,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44taking out expensive loans from local moneylenders.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48ARMAAN:
0:20:56 > 0:21:00His eldest son, Sahil, is old enough to go to school,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03but school costs money that Armaan hasn't got.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06WOMAN:
0:21:08 > 0:21:12WOMAN:
0:21:15 > 0:21:17ARMAAN:
0:21:27 > 0:21:29At dusk, without ceremony,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32the train finally crossed the border into India
0:21:32 > 0:21:34arriving only two hours late.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44CHILDREN SHOUT
0:21:48 > 0:21:50For some, it's the start of a new life
0:21:50 > 0:21:53as they set off to find work in India and beyond.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57For others there's business to make,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59goods to shift, commerce to engage in.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Regina slips off into the night
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and disappears into the crowd of this border town.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10She has a list of goods to buy here
0:22:10 > 0:22:14and bring them back to Nepal, duty free...
0:22:14 > 0:22:15if she's lucky.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:22:26 > 0:22:29HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Just a few years ago, Jaynagar in India
0:22:32 > 0:22:36was a sleepy little town in the eastern province of Bihar,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38on the border of Nepal.
0:22:38 > 0:22:39MAN:
0:22:42 > 0:22:47But today, Jaynagar has become an important Indian railway junction
0:22:47 > 0:22:49complete with an upgrade to broad gauge.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51STATION ANNOUNCEMENT
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Now, many Indian express trains start from here,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00connecting this small town of 30,000 people
0:23:00 > 0:23:02to most major Indian cities.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06These express trains mostly carry workers from this region
0:23:06 > 0:23:09to other parts of India in search of work.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Regina is back from her secretive shopping expedition.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26What she needs now is a place to sleep.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35The morning train to Janakpur is convenient.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Empty for once, and free.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41A couple of sacks of goods serve as a mattress,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44and a mosquito net completes her makeshift bed.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49REGINA:
0:24:19 > 0:24:21BELL RINGS
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Today on this Nepali platform, as well as Regina,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32there's an exhausted group of pilgrims from Rajasthan.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38They've been travelling on Indian trains for the last 24 hours.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Having covered over 1,200 miles,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51their last 20 will be on Nepal Railways to Janakpur,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53the birthplace of the goddess Sita.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27The subcontinent of India dates back to a time
0:25:27 > 0:25:30when the land was defined by its pilgrim routes
0:25:30 > 0:25:32and mythological stories,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35not by territories divided by kings and governments.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Travelling the pilgrim routes was full of difficulties then,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42and it still is.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45But for devotees, it is both a demonstration of their faith
0:25:45 > 0:25:48and a celebration of their gods.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51PILGRIMS SING:
0:26:15 > 0:26:18As for Regina, her faith is pinned on
0:26:18 > 0:26:21this spirited but vulnerable little train
0:26:21 > 0:26:25which has given her hope and financial survival.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27REGINA:
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The train may be a god to Regina
0:26:40 > 0:26:42but it's a god with earthly needs,
0:26:42 > 0:26:43like money for diesel.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47During the 10-day festival of Dashain,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49the train usually runs fully loaded.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The season should generate a welcome boost for ticket revenues.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00And travelling ticket inspector Rajeshwar will do whatever it takes
0:27:00 > 0:27:02to keep the railway running
0:27:02 > 0:27:05and collect as many rupees as possible in fares.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08RAJESHWAR:
0:27:31 > 0:27:33TRAIN HORN SOUNDS
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Janakpur Station has been patiently awaiting
0:27:39 > 0:27:41the arrival of the train,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44and so has Regina's youngest son, Sehmat.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48They have a well-oiled routine.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Regina will unload
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and then Sehmat will make off with the goods as quickly as he can.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01There might be police waiting at Janakpur Station,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03but Regina is ready.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Young Sehmat successfully makes off
0:28:30 > 0:28:33with one enormous, bulging sack of clothes.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Now Regina chooses her moment
0:28:48 > 0:28:50while the officials struggle to deal with the crowds
0:28:50 > 0:28:53of pilgrims, passengers, and all their goods.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Then, in the blink of an eye, she's gone.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05ARMAAN:
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Armaan is as broke as the railway,
0:29:11 > 0:29:16so he's in no mood to be charitable towards ticketless passengers.
0:29:16 > 0:29:17PASSENGER:
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Nepal is the birthplace of the Buddha,
0:29:27 > 0:29:31but for Hindus, it's also the Land of the Gods.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34In Hindu mythology, Sita, Lord Rama's wife,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37is said to have been born right here in Janakpur.
0:29:38 > 0:29:43The story of Rama and Sita may be 5,000 years old,
0:29:43 > 0:29:45yet the gleaming temple of Sita
0:29:45 > 0:29:48was just empty ground until a hundred years ago.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51For Hindus, it's not the physical building
0:29:51 > 0:29:53or its location which matters.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58It's the aura of holiness that makes the mythology come alive
0:29:58 > 0:29:59for these pilgrims.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06The success of the festival of Dashain
0:30:06 > 0:30:09is thanks to the train starting again.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12It's brought a steady stream of pilgrims, and their money,
0:30:12 > 0:30:13to the town.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16BAND PLAYS
0:30:16 > 0:30:17Today at the temple,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19they're listening intently
0:30:19 > 0:30:22to the story of Lord Rama's rescuing of Sita
0:30:22 > 0:30:23from her evil abductors.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30THEY CHAT LOUDLY
0:30:33 > 0:30:34But for Regina and her sons,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37the devotions and celebrations can wait.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40The festive season means extra demand
0:30:40 > 0:30:42for Regina's services.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48She's now delivering daily consignments of clothes
0:30:48 > 0:30:49for the shopkeepers in Janakpur.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53With a steady turnover,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56she can feed the family for a month,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58and even pay off a few small debts.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Even after two weeks of uninterrupted service,
0:31:06 > 0:31:08the railway hasn't yet earned enough
0:31:08 > 0:31:10to pay the workers a salary.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Armaan's situation is becoming critical,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16and the wolves are at the door.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19ARMAAN:
0:31:38 > 0:31:41With mounting debts and no guarantee of a job,
0:31:41 > 0:31:45there are few options in Nepal for people like Armaan
0:31:45 > 0:31:47unless he joins his peers,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49migrating overseas for work.
0:31:51 > 0:31:56For the religious, Janakpur may be a town for spiritual salvation,
0:31:56 > 0:32:01but for the locals, it also holds the promise of a better life.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04These days, they see themselves less as pilgrims
0:32:04 > 0:32:05and more as economic migrants.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Janakpur town supports a network of immigration services
0:32:11 > 0:32:15to serve the ever increasing demand for jobs abroad.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Industry and manpower agencies, travel agents,
0:32:19 > 0:32:21remittance companies -
0:32:21 > 0:32:23if you're prepared to travel,
0:32:23 > 0:32:27the Janakpur network will find you a job anywhere in the world...
0:32:27 > 0:32:29for a price.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:32:42 > 0:32:46Packages, goods and passengers are already making their way
0:32:46 > 0:32:47to Janakpur Station,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50displaying addresses of distant lands.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54They tell an increasingly common story of Nepal,
0:32:54 > 0:32:56a massive population exodus.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11Once, Nepal exported agricultural produce,
0:33:11 > 0:33:13timber, tea, herbs.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17But today its biggest export is its people.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42As the train departs, its carriages are filled with
0:33:42 > 0:33:45local gossip and travellers' tales of life stories
0:33:45 > 0:33:46from home and abroad.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Nepal is fast becoming a country of migrants.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05More than half of its households
0:34:05 > 0:34:07have at least one member of the family working abroad.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Nearly a quarter of Nepal's income
0:34:22 > 0:34:25is made up by its citizens sending money home.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02METAL CLANGS
0:35:02 > 0:35:05PEOPLE SHOUT
0:35:07 > 0:35:10After two weeks of uninterrupted service,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13the train to Jaynagar has derailed.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Happily, no-one has got hurt.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25But it's no cause for alarm for the regulars.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27They're all too used to it
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and willingly lend their support when there's a problem.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34But they don't take kindly to any criticism
0:35:34 > 0:35:36of their precious train.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01MEN SHOUT
0:36:01 > 0:36:04As usual, rather than wait for help to arrive,
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Nepal Railways relies on its greatest resource,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09the manpower of its passengers.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39PASSENGER SINGS
0:36:57 > 0:37:02Luckily, yesterday's derailment didn't cause any major disruption,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04it just bent a few rails.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Jaleshwar is head of the track repair gang.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12The derailment site is 10 miles from his home,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14and like the rest of the railway staff,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18he's prepared to do his duty wherever and whenever he's needed.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39Reclaimed sleepers are already being hurried to the site
0:37:39 > 0:37:41on the emergency motor trolley
0:37:41 > 0:37:44so that the bent track can be repaired in time
0:37:44 > 0:37:45for the morning train.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50JALESHWAR:
0:37:58 > 0:38:00It takes Jaleshwar and his gang
0:38:00 > 0:38:03just under an hour to repair the old track,
0:38:03 > 0:38:05so there's no delay to the schedule.
0:38:16 > 0:38:17But back at home in his village,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Jaleshwar is under a lot of pressure,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22not just from the railway,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24but from his family too.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Now his younger son wants him to pay his travel expenses
0:38:28 > 0:38:29so he can work abroad,
0:38:29 > 0:38:31just like his brother.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Jaleshwar had to take a loan
0:38:49 > 0:38:52to finance his eldest son's trip to Qatar.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56Six years later, he's only just finished repaying it.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00And now that his younger son Surya also wants to work abroad,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03he has just no idea where the money will come from.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05SURYA:
0:39:38 > 0:39:42Today, Surya has come to Janakpur for a vital health check-up.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46He has to have a medical certificate before he can travel abroad.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51SURYA:
0:39:56 > 0:40:00Qatar will be hosting the Football World Cup in 2022.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02They're building to a deadline,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04so the demand for cheap labour is high.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09SURYA:
0:40:36 > 0:40:38At Janakpur Station,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Regina's eldest son, Rehmat, is waiting for his mother
0:40:41 > 0:40:43to arrive on the train.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46He used to make these train runs himself,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49but they've been cracking down on smugglers recently,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51so his mother wants to protect him from arrest.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10And today is no ordinary day for the morning service from Jaynagar.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15ARMAAN ON SPEAKER:
0:41:37 > 0:41:40There's going to be a big surprise raid
0:41:40 > 0:41:44involving customs, police and ticket inspectors.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47They're out to catch smugglers and fare dodgers.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52And it's an opportunity to claw back some money
0:41:52 > 0:41:54from ticketless travellers
0:41:54 > 0:41:56and to confiscate some contraband.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00As usual, Regina is aboard the train
0:42:00 > 0:42:03with sacks of imported goods,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06and both her sons are waiting to unload at Janakpur.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19REGINA:
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Today, Regina and her sons have to shift
0:42:36 > 0:42:38a bigger consignment than usual,
0:42:38 > 0:42:39and she gets caught.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03But Regina doesn't let the first seisure deter her.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05She makes a run with her second consignment.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12But she's caught again.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Armaan is also in the front line,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36collecting money from fare dodgers.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Age is no excuse for fare dodging,
0:44:11 > 0:44:15and not paying for your ticket or for your cycle is an offence.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30The youngest dodger gives up his shopping money as a fine
0:44:30 > 0:44:33and then scuttles off to face his family.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37GUARD:
0:44:43 > 0:44:45As the station quietens down,
0:44:45 > 0:44:49Regina sees an opportunity to liberate one of her impounded bags.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11Three of her bags are still with the customs,
0:45:11 > 0:45:14and she tries to plead with the guards,
0:45:14 > 0:45:15but to no avail.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20It's been an expensive day for Regina and her sons.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59But it's been a good day for the railways.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02As Armaan and his friends watch their accountant
0:46:02 > 0:46:06add up their takings from ticket sales, freight charges
0:46:06 > 0:46:07and all the other fines
0:46:07 > 0:46:10there should be enough cash for some wages.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21And it's very good news.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25They've collected enough to pay themselves some wages.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30Accountant Sitasharam agrees to pay one month's salary to everyone...
0:46:30 > 0:46:31tomorrow.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36The news couldn't have come at a better time.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40Now, they can enjoy the festivities.
0:46:40 > 0:46:45Tomorrow is the auspicious eighth day of the Dashain Festival,
0:46:45 > 0:46:48when Hindus sacrifice a goat to the goddess Durga
0:46:48 > 0:46:49for good luck.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54Even with the expectation of one month's wages,
0:46:54 > 0:46:57Armaan can't even think about sending his son to school.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06But he's happy to buy some books for him,
0:47:06 > 0:47:08to keep the dream alive.
0:47:49 > 0:47:50It's payday,
0:47:50 > 0:47:53the first in many months,
0:47:53 > 0:47:56and at Janakpur Station, Armaan is in high spirits
0:47:56 > 0:47:59while he waits for the staff from other stations down the line.
0:48:08 > 0:48:09At Khajuri Station,
0:48:09 > 0:48:12there are many goats waiting to board.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16They're all to be sacrificed at the temple in Janakpur,
0:48:16 > 0:48:19a ritual thousands of years old.
0:48:24 > 0:48:29For many Hindus, animal sacrifice is central to their religious practise.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33Today, the sacrifice will be made to appease the mother goddess
0:48:33 > 0:48:36for their bad deeds of the last year.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39GOAT BLEATS
0:48:39 > 0:48:44As the devout escort their offerings to the temple on Janakpur Station
0:48:44 > 0:48:45it's payday at last.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51A month's salary for Vilas and Aarman is just £60,
0:48:51 > 0:48:54which is less than two pounds a day.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03And outside, others are waiting.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12Creditors, shopkeepers and booze sellers are all waiting
0:49:12 > 0:49:14to stake their claim on the money.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28Now Vilas and his co-workers are able to pay back
0:49:28 > 0:49:30some of their debts.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36On the loco in Janakpur, they've also sacrificed a goat,
0:49:36 > 0:49:38not just to the goddess,
0:49:38 > 0:49:42but to the diesel engine ZDM 524.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56Although most of his salary went to paying off debts,
0:49:56 > 0:49:59Armaan will not let that stop him from having some fun.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03He and his wife make a visit to the local fair
0:50:03 > 0:50:06for some cheap thrills and something for the kids.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23PASSENGER SCREAMS
0:50:28 > 0:50:30Although Regina is a Muslim,
0:50:30 > 0:50:32she, like many other poor people,
0:50:32 > 0:50:35can ill afford to believe in sectarian divisions.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42Regina wants to thank the Hindu goddess for her blessings.
0:50:42 > 0:50:44She's survived, and so have her children.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49REGINA:
0:51:06 > 0:51:09As the festivities come to an end in Janakpur,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11the railway and the town are grateful
0:51:11 > 0:51:13for this boost to their income.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15CHILDREN CHEER
0:51:18 > 0:51:22TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:51:24 > 0:51:28But down the line, at Jaynagar Station on the Indian border,
0:51:28 > 0:51:31as they dispatch the morning service to Nepal,
0:51:31 > 0:51:32a letter arrives.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36It's come from head office
0:51:36 > 0:51:38and it's addressed to the station master.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00Now it's official.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03The government's planned expansion is going ahead.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06The Janakpur line will be closed.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14It will be upgraded and rebuilt by the Indian government
0:52:14 > 0:52:19and if things go well, in three years' time it will reopen
0:52:19 > 0:52:22as Nepal's first broad-gauge train service
0:52:22 > 0:52:23to Janakpur and beyond.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36It may be good news for Nepal,
0:52:36 > 0:52:40but for the 150 staff of this narrow-gauge train,
0:52:40 > 0:52:42it's the news they've been dreading.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47But there's a more immediate problem.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49JALESHWAR:
0:53:04 > 0:53:05Despite the letter,
0:53:05 > 0:53:09the railway workers are determined to run their little train
0:53:09 > 0:53:11for as long as they can
0:53:11 > 0:53:13and to earn whatever they can.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:53:27 > 0:53:31For now, Jaleshwar is managing to keep the train in service,
0:53:31 > 0:53:33but his son Surya is more realistic.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37He planned to go abroad,
0:53:37 > 0:53:40but with his father's job disappearing,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43he knows that getting a loan for the air ticket and visa
0:53:43 > 0:53:45will be impossible.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01So Surya starts doing what others do in this border area.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04He becomes a small-time black marketeer,
0:54:04 > 0:54:07smuggling household goods across the border.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:54:13 > 0:54:17In Janakpur, Armaan is busy collecting tickets.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21He's not ready to quit until he's forced to.
0:54:22 > 0:54:27But he's faced with a difficult decision about his son's future.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29His dream of sending him to a good school
0:54:29 > 0:54:32means getting further into debt,
0:54:32 > 0:54:33and he just cannot afford it.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39His wife is still teaching her kids at home,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42hoping that someday they'll realise her dreams.
0:55:00 > 0:55:01SAHIL:
0:55:09 > 0:55:12ARMAAN:
0:55:45 > 0:55:48Regina is not ready to give up on the train either.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57As long as it keeps running, she can earn money,
0:55:57 > 0:56:01and for people like her, this train has been a saviour.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05REGINA:
0:56:25 > 0:56:28Her eldest son, Rehmat, is ready to take any job
0:56:28 > 0:56:30to help maintain the family.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34He's managed to get some poorly paid labouring work
0:56:34 > 0:56:36on a building site in Janakpur.
0:56:53 > 0:56:58Regina is surprised to hear that her eldest son has got a job.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02And like any mother, she's both proud and touched.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59The railwaymen and their passengers manage to keep the train running
0:57:59 > 0:58:02for another few months.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04But despite their efforts,
0:58:04 > 0:58:09the Janakpur to Jaynagar line finally closed in 2014.
0:58:16 > 0:58:20No decision has been made on the fate of its former employees,
0:58:20 > 0:58:25and the new broad-gauge line is scheduled to open in 2017.