View source for Calcutta Port and Docks - Railways

'''Calcutta Port and Docks - Railways'''
  
'''[[Calcutta]] ''' is India’s only inland port, lying around 125 miles(200km) from the Bay of Bengal on the Hooghly River. Before the British established a port there, both the Portugese and the Dutch had used the Hooghly for trade and had established jetties in the area. However British private traders and merchants built a number of piers and jetties on the river from the middle of the 17th century, first developed port facilities on the Howrah at Calcutta. By 1758 these came under control of the ‘[[East India Company|EIC]] Marine Establishment’. In addition to the private jetties, the EIC had their own jetties, wharf and a dock and marine yard at [[Kidderpore]]. 
<br>In 1866 the control of the facilities passed to ‘Calcutta Municipality’  to the Government of Bengal and by 1870 who formed the ‘[[Calcutta Port Commissioners' Railway|Calcutta Port Commissioners]]’ to run the port <ref name =WB96>“Industrial Railways and Locomotives of India and South Asia” compiled by Simon Darvill. Published by ‘The Industrial Railway Society’ 2013. ISBN 978 1 901556 82-7. Available at  http://irsshop.co.uk/India. Reference:  Entry  WB96  page ....</ref>.

A number of schemes and proposals were put forward over the years:-
==Kidderpore Wet Dock Proposal, 1824==
An early proposal for a ‘Wet Dock’ to be constructed to serve [[Calcutta]] was put forward in a Report with justifications by P Chrichton  ''(position/rank unknown)''. The Report, pages 1-20, concludes the best location would be at [[Kidderpore]] some 1¾ miles (2.8km) downstream  and provides a cost estimate for 4 dry docks and 12 godowns (warehouses).  A Supplement to the Report, pages 20-27 proposes a Canal of 40 miles(64km) to provide safe passage from the sea at Channel Creek to the ‘Wet Docks, with a single lock gate at the seaward end  join the <ref>[https://books.google.fr/books?id=hZZWAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false “Observations on the Advantages of a Wet-Dock for the Port of Calcutta” by P Crichton, 1824];Retrieved 25 Mar 2018</ref>.  ''Clearly no action was taken at this time on either project ''.
 
== Diamond Harbour Dock and Railway to Calcutta Proposal, 1838==
'''The Calcutta and Diamond Harbour Railway''' was first proposed in 1838 in a Report by W D Holmes Esq Chief Engineer to the Provincial Committee. A railway ‘might be constructed between [[Calcutta]] and [[Diamond Harbour]], a distance of 25 miles ''(by straight line)'', that would ensure a very liberal return for the investment, on the mercantile and shipping interests connected with the trade to Bengal, and on the city and trade especially’. The Report goes on to propose and estimate a single track railway of 7 ft gauge to be laid on the embankment and the construction of docks and warehouses at [[Diamond Harbour]] connected to the bonded warehouses at Calcutta. This proposal was supported by Captain J T Boileau, Bengal Engineers <ref>[https://books.google.fr/books?id=LHopAAAAYAAJ Google Books ‘Herapath's Railway Journal’, Volume 6 March 1839, pages 169-172];Retrieved 5 Mar 2018</ref>.  ''No action was taken at this time''.
 
== Calcutta and Diamond Harbour Dock & Railway Proposal, 1845==
The ‘[[Calcutta and Diamond Harbour Dock & Railway Co Ltd]]’ was formed in 1845, the survey had been undertaken in 1839 ''but the construction did not commence'' [[Calcutta and Diamond Harbour Dock & Railway Co Ltd|''see separate page'']]

==Diamond Harbour Dock and Wet Dock Proposals, 1846==
The  [[Diamond Harbour Dock and Wet Dock Proposals, 1846|‘Diamond Harbour Dock and Railway Company’ proposal of 1846]] was for the establishment of a Wet Dock at [[Diamond Harbour]] and a railway and canal from the Docks to [[Calcutta]]. The Consulting Engineer to Government, [[Frederick Walter Simms|Mr Frederick Walter Simms]] put forward a justification for the construction of Wet Docks. A ‘Wet Dock Committee’ had been set up by Government in 1844 examined and estimated two proposals:-
*[[Kidderpore]], a suburb of Calcutta, which was recommended by the Committee
*[[Diamond Harbour]], at a distance of 28½ miles(46km) by rail or by water  50 miles(80km) down the river. 
The ‘Committee’ concluded:- “as Docks and Railways involve several connected questions, we think that neither the Diamond Harbour, nor the Kidderpore Docks can be safely decided upon, until it is known where the terminus of the ‘[[Great Trunk Railway from Calcutta|Great Trunk Railway]]’ is to be”. ''As a consequence there was no decision'' [[Diamond Harbour Dock and Wet Dock Proposals, 1846|''see separate page for further information'']]

==Diamond Harbour Railway Scheme, 1852-53==
The ‘Diamond Harbour Scheme for railway communication with Calcutta’ proposal was put forward for consideratrion <ref>British Library ‘India Office Records’ IOR/E/4/819, pp229-231 “Docks and Harbours, Diamond Harbour, Scheme for railway communication with Calcutta”, 1852,53</ref>

==Calcutta Port Commissioners' Railway==
The ‘[[Calcutta Port Commissioners' Railway]]'(CPCR)  was a broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) port railway that opened in stages from 1875 onwards serving the docks area of [[Calcutta]] along the bank of the Hooghly from [[Chitpur]] in the north to [[Kidderpore]] Docks in the south [[Calcutta Port Commissioners' Railway|''see separate page'']]

== References ==
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[[Category:Railways]]
[[Category:Port Railways]]