Southern Punjab Railway

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Southern Punjab Railway
[[Image:|150px| ]]
Line of route
Delhi to Samasata
McLeod Ganj to Ludhiana
Narwana to Kaithal (branch)
Gauge / mileage
Broad gauge 502 miles (1905)
Timeline
1897 Delhi to Samasata line opened to traffic
1930 Line acquired by State and merged into NWR
Key locations
Presidency Bengal
Stations Bahawalpur, Bhatinda, Fazilka, Ferozepore, Jakhai, Rohtak
System agency
Worked by North Western Railway
How to interpret this infobox
Southern Punjab Railway Map 1909

The Southern Punjab Railway(SPR) was a broad gauge(BG) line built to provide a more direct connection from Karachi to Delhi by linking to the original Indus Valley line at Samasata and avoiding the North Western Railway loop via Lahore. [1]

History

The Company was formed in 1895. The main line ran north west from Delhi to Bhatinda then south west through Bahawalpur State to Samasata, a total distance of 402 miles(643km). Several extension lines (Jullunder, Sutlej Valley etc.) extended the length to 502 miles(803km) in 1905.

The railway was worked by the North Western State(NWR) Railway (see "Records L/AG/46/34").

Purchased by Government in 1930.

SPR Branch Lines and extensions

Railways absorbed into SPR

Lines worked by SPR at some time

Records

Refer to FIBIS Fact File #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 1845-1947” - available from the Fibis shop. This Fact File contains invaluable advice on 'Researching ancestors in the UK records of Indian Railways' with particular reference to the India Office Records (IOR) held at the British Library

An on-line search of the IOR records relating to this railway [2] gives many references. The most important being:-

  • L/AG/46/39 “Records of the India Office relating to the Southern Punjab Railway Company; 1895-1914".'
  • L/F/7/2607-2615 “Collection 401: Southern Punjab Railway, date unspecified"

also concerning the working of the Southern Punjab Railway by NWR.

  • L/AG/46/34 “ Records of the India Office relating to the North Western State Railway",

References