View source for Bengal-Nagpur Railway - Lines Owned and Worked

'''Bengal-Nagpur Railway - Lines Owned and Worked'''

<blockquote>- a sub-section of the '''[[Bengal-Nagpur Railway]]'''(BNR) page</blockquote>

The [[Bengal-Nagpur Railway ]](BNR) owned and operated an extensive network of railways of broad gauge ([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) and  2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge ([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) railways. 

By 1918 there was total of 2,795 miles(4,498km) of open lines in the BNR system - this comprised:-
*1,888 miles(3,038km) of BG lines
*907 miles(1,468km) of NG. 
*A further 328 miles(528km) were under construction - 266 miles(428km) of BG and 62 miles(100km) of NG. 

By 1937 this had increased to 3392 miles(5459km)
*2466 miles(3969km) of BG lines
*926 miles(1490km) of Ng lines

The BNR also managed, worked and maintained a number of lines on behalf of other parties.

The BNR System Network is clearly shown on this 1937 map <ref>[https://ia801605.us.archive.org/30/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.36650/2015.36650.India-Railway-Board-History-Of-Indian-Railways-Constructed-And-In-Progress.pdf|Extracted From US Archive.com ‘History Of Indian Railways - Railway Department,Government of India, 1937’ pdf #43] pdf page copied, cut and marked as necessary]; Retrieved 19 Apr 2020</ref>
[[File:Bengal-Nagpur Railway 1937 Map v2.png|800px|right| Bengal-Nagpur Railway System  1937 Map]]









==BNR Broad Gauge (BG) Network==
===1918 BG Network=== 
The listing below is based on the “Administration Report on Railways 1918”  
<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n9/mode/1up  " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government  Printing,  Calcutta;  pages 1-3]; Retrieved 22 Dec 2017</ref>
*'''BNR Main Line''' [[Asansol]] to [[Nagpur]]; 630 miles (1,014km); fully opened as BG by 1891. The [[Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway]] in 1880-83 opened the '[[Nagpur]] to Rajnandgaon Section', 144 miles(232km) as MG, converted to BG in 1888.
**'''Sanctoria Coal Branch''' Damodaodar to Sanctoria Collieries; opened 1889; 8 miles(13km)
**'''Chaurashi Branch''' Ramkanali to Nodila Colliery; opened 1903; 9 miles(14km)
**'''Sambalpur Branch''' Jharauguda to Sambalpar; opened 1893; 30 miles(48km)
**'''Katni Branch''' [[Bilaspur]] via [[Katni]] to the GIPR Marwara Junction; fully opened 1891; 197 miles(316km). This was the former [[Bilaspur-Etawa Provincial State Railway]]. The [[Katni-Umaria Provincial State Railway]] in 1886 had opened Katni to Umaria section, 36 miles(58km) 
**'''Kanham - Dattapahar Spur'''; opened 1907; 17 miles(28km)
**'''Calcutta Extension Line''' Sini to [[Howrah]]; opened 1900; 171 miles(274km)
**'''Fort Gloster; Lawrence Mill; East Loop Narin Bank and Kidderpore Lines; opened 1900; 4 miles(6.4km)
**'''FulesVhwar Ring Mill Line; opened 1917; 0.4 mile(0.7km)
**'''Shalimar Branch''' Santragachi to Shalimar; opened 1901; 3.1 miles(5km) 
**'''Cuttack Extension''' Khargpur to [[Cuttack]]; opened 1898-99; 182 miles(292km)
**'''Jharia Extension''' Khargpur to Midnapur, opened 1901; to Bhojudih, 1903; to Gomoh, 1907; to Bhowrah, 1914. Total 151 miles(243km) [[Jharia Coalfield Railways#Jharia Coalfield BNR Railways|See separate page 'Jharia Coalfield Railways']] 
**'''Jhariah Coalfields Spurs''' ‘Bhojudih-Bhaga-Mounuda Loop’, opened 1903-04; ‘Bhowra Spur’, opened 1903; ‘Bhojudih-Pathardihi Link’, opened 1906 and extended 1915. Total 22 miles(35km); [[Jharia Coalfield Railways#Jharia Coalfield BNR Railways|See separate page 'Jharia Coalfield Railways']] 
**'''Nonoodih BNR-EIR Connection''', opened 1915, 1.4 miles(2.3km)
**'''Katras Connections''' Malkera to Katras, opened 1903; Khanoodih to Katras, opened 1907. Total 2.5 miles(4km)
**'''Murulidih Branch''' Mohuda to Murulidih Collieries, opened 1907, 2.7 miles(4.3km)
**'''Jamadoba Loop''', opened 1903, 5.4 miles(8.7km)
**'''Aldih Branch''', opened 1906, 2.5 miles(4km)
**'''Visianagram - Parvatipuram Extension''' Visianagram to Bobbili, opened 1908; Bobbili to Parvatipuram, opened 1900. Total 48 miles(77km)
**'''Bobbili - Salur Branch''' Bobbilli to Salur, opened 1913, 10 miles(16km)
**'''Kalimati - Gorumahisani Extension''', Kalimati (later to become Tatanagar Junction) to Gorumahisani , opened 1911, 40 miles(64km). The [[Badampahar Iron Mine Railway|‘Badampahar Spur’]] extended the line to the Badamphar Iron Mines in about 1922 
**'''Bokharo Ramgarh Extension''' Mghuda via Jamuniatand to the BNR/EIR joint line, opened 1913-15. Total 22 miles(35km). 
**'''Kalamna - Itsari - Nagpur Section''' Kalamna via Itsari to [[Nagpur]], opened 1911, 4 miles(6.4km)
*'''BNR East Coast Railway Northern Section''' [[Cuttack]] to [[Waltair]] formerly part of the [[ East Coast State Railway]], opened 1894-97, 321 miles(516km)
**'''Naupuda Salt Branch''' ''included in above''
**'''Puri Branch''' ''included in above''  

===BG Lines under construction as at 1918===
*'''Raipur - Parvatipuram Line''', sanctioned 1906, 261 miles(420km)
*'''Kandra - Gomharia Chord''', sanctioned 1914, 5.5 miles(8.9km)
*''' [[Panposh-Ruipura Railway]]''', sanctioned 1917, constructed and worked by BNR opened 1919-20, 14 miles(23km) 

===Later BG extensions after 1918===
*'''Raipur - Vizianagram BNR Branch''', opened in 1931. Originally surveyed in 1879-82 but not constructed, then known as the [[Vizagapatam-Raipur Railway]]
*'''[[Anuppur-Manendragarb-Chimiri Railway]]''', opened 1939 by BNR; built primarily to convey coal from the Kotma area

===1937 BG Lines===
The following extensions to those given in the 1918 Report above are <ref>[https://ia801605.us.archive.org/30/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.36650/2015.36650.India-Railway-Board-History-Of-Indian-Railways-Constructed-And-In-Progress.pdf  US Archive.com ‘History Of Indian Railways - Railway Department,Government of India, 1937’ Pages 21-23, pdf pages 44-46]; Retrieved 19 Apr 2020</ref>. 
*'''Gua Branch''', opened 1924-26, 69 miles(111km), from Raj Kharsawan Junction to Gua with a 4 miles branch to Barabil
*'''Birmitapur Branch''',opened 1622-26, 18 miles(30km), from Rourkela to Birmitrepur
*'''Raipur-Vizianagram Railway''', opened 290 miles(467km) incorporating the 'Visianagram - Parvatipuram Extension' of 44 miles (77km) which had opened in 1908-09 
*'''Tumsar-Tirodi BG Conversion''', opened 1929, 29 miles(47km)
*'''Tatanagar-Gorumahisani Branch''', opened in 1922, 21 miles(34km) an further development from Onlajori to Badampahar, (including Salapet Branch), from the 'Kalimati - Gorumahisani Extension', 40 miles(64km) which had opened in 1911
*'''Nergundi to Talcher Branch''', opened 1927, 62 miles(99km), from Nergundi to Talchar. This would have carried coal from the '[[Talcher Colliery]]’, a [[Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway|'Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Colliery’]] and the BNR's own ‘[[Deulberra Colliery]]’
*'''Bokharo-Ramgarh Extension''', 1927, 72 miles(115km), Barakakhana to Chandil; an further section to the 'Mohuda to Chaudrapura Section' of 9 miles(15km)  and the BNR and EIR lines at Nunudih 1.5 miles(2.5km) all opened 1913-15

===BG Lines worked by BNR===
''See separate pages for details'' 
*''' [[Bellary-Kistna State Railway]] ''', constructed before 1890; surveyed for Hindpur extension 1892-94; worked by BNR.
*''' [[Ganjam District Light Railway]] ''', surveyed 1899 but did not go ahead in entirety; Parlakimedi Light Railway opened 1 section, 1900 worked by BNR from 1902.
*''' [[Kamptee-Deolapar-Ramtek Railway]] ''', surveyed 1903 to construct light railway on public roads to convey Manganese; worked by BNR(qv); no further information
*''' [[Pench Valley Coalfield Railway]] ''', opened 1906-7; 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]])line, from the Pench and Kanhan coalfields to [[Chhindwara]] where it connected to  the  (BNR) [[Satpura Railway]] network; worked by BNR. 
*''' [[Baripada-Talbond Railway]] ''', opened 1920, extension to [[Mayurbhanj Railway]]; worked by BNR.
*''' [[Visakhapatnam Port Trust Railway]] ''', inner harbour railway, built by BNR 1927-33 to export manganese ore.
*''' [[Central  Indian Coalfields Railway]] ''', opened 1927, [[Government of India |GoI]] owned; part worked by BNR; later amagamated with [[East Indian Railway]](EIR) 

==BNR Narrow Gauge (NG) Network==
The listing below is based on the “Administration Report on Railways 1918”  
<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n15/mode/1up  " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government  Printing,  Calcutta;  pages 6-11]; Retrieved 22 Dec 2017</ref>

===BNR 2ft 6in/762mm Narrow Gauge Lines===
''See separate pages for details''
*'''[[Raipur-Dhamtari Railway]]''' and '''[[Rajim Branch Railway]]'''. The first 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) branch of BNR, opened 1900 and extended to Rajim 1906. Total 57 miles(92km)
*'''[[Purulia Ranchi Light Railway]]'''. BNR NG line, opened 1907 and extended 1913. Total 115 miles(185km)
*'''[[Satpura Railway]]'''. NG network. Developed by the BNR from 1904 onward, eventually being described as the ‘Satpura Railway’; connected Jubbulpore with Gondia, Mandla Fort, Chhindwara and Nagpur; later extended. Comprising: -
**'''[[Jubbulpore-Gondia Railway]]'''. NG extension, opened 1903-13, owned by GoI,  worked by BNR. Total 311 miles(501km)
**'''[[Gondia-Chanda Railway]]'''. NG extension, opened 1908-16. Total 217 miles(349km)
**'''[[Nagbhir-Nagpur Branch Railway]]''', opened 1908. Total 66 miles(106km) 
**'''[[Nagpur-Chhindwara Railway]]'''. NG extension, opened 1911, owned by GoI and worked by BNR. Total 97 miles(156km)
**'''[[Tumsar-Tirodi Light Railway]]'''. 2ft 0in/610mm narrow gauge([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]); opened 1910 as ‘Tumsar-Katangi Railway’ owned by Central India Mining Co ; Purchased in 1916-17 by [[Government of India |GoI]];  worked by BNR; connecting to BNR's [[Satpura Railway]].

===NG Lines worked by BNR===
''See separate pages for details''
*'''[[Parlakimedi Light Railway]]''', 2ft 6in/762mm NG;  owned by Raja of Parlakimedi, opened  1900, worked by BNR, 25 miles(39km).
*'''[[Mourbhanj Railway|Mourbhanj State Railway]]''', 2ft 6in/762mm NG; owned by Mourbhanj State, opened 1905, worked by BNR, 32 miles(km). Renamed [[Mayurbhanj Railway]] 1920 and transferred  to private company.

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Railways]]
[[Category:State Railways]]
[[Category:Guaranteed Railways]]