Difference between revisions of "Southern Punjab Railway"

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(1909 Railway Map Section added)
(New info added to 'History'; 'SPR Network of Lines..' replacing previous headings - withy references)
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==History==
 
==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.
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The '''Southern Punjab Railway'''(SPR) Company was formed in 1895 with [[Bradford Leslie]] as Chairman. Under contract with the Secretary of State for India, Leslie and his partners formed the company to build a BG Railway from [[Delhi]] to [[Samasata]] about  400 miles to the west.
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[[Horace Bell ]] was the  Consulting Engineer for SPR in London for the construction.,
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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").  
 
The railway was worked by the North Western State(NWR) Railway (see "Records L/AG/46/34").  
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Purchased by Government in 1930.
 
Purchased by Government in 1930.
  
==SPR Branch Lines and extensions==
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==SPR Network of Lines including Lines Managed and Worked ==
*'''[[Delhi-Samasatta Railway]]''' was opened in 1897 by the SPR connecting [[Delhi]] with [[Samasatta]] via [[Bhatinda]]. The line passed through [[Muktasar]] and [[Fazilka]] and provided direct connection through [[Samasatta]] (now in Pakistan) to [[Karachi]].  
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The listings below are generally based on the “Administration Report on Railways 1918”  <ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n121/mode/1up “Administration Report on Railways 1918” pages 120-126 (pdf 129-134]; Retrieved  18 Dec 2016</ref> with page numbers (and pdf pages) noted at the end of each entry.
*'''[[McLeodganj Railway]]'''  was an extension constructed by SPR in 1905 and worked by them. Later renamed Mandi Sadiqgan Railway and now in Pakistan.
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*'''[[Narwana-Kaithal Railway]]''' was opened in 1899 by SPR, linking [[Kaitha]] to [[Narwana]], from where a branch line to [[Kuruksheta]] was opened in 1910.
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'''SPR Mainline and branches''' [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]] Total line length 426 miles(685km). Page 121(pdf 130)
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*’Delhi-Samasata Mainline’, [[Delhi]] via [[Narwana]], [[Jakhal]], [[Bhatinda]] to [[Samasata]], opened 1897, 399 miles(642km)
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**’Delhi Brewery Branch Line’, opened 1909, 0.8 mile(1.3km)
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**’[[Narwana-Kaithal Railway|Narwana-Kaithal Branch Line]]’, opened 1899, from [[Narwana]] to [[Kaithal]], 23 miles(37km)
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**’Jind City Branch Line’, from [[Jhind|Jind]] Junction to [[Jhind|Jind]] City, opened 1916, 2.5 miles(4km)
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'''[[Jullundur-Doab Railway| Jullundur-Doab Extension Railway]]''' [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]] Total line length 130 miles(209km). Page 123(pdf132)
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*’Jullunder-Ferozepore Mainline, [[Jullunder]] via Karpurthala, Sultanpur Lodi,  Lohian Khas, Gidarpind, Makhu to [[Ferozepore]] Cantonment, opened 1912-14, 73 miles(117km)
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**’Phillaur Branch Line’, Lohian Khas to [[Phillaur]], opened 1913, 39 miles(63km)
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**’[[Jullundur-Nakodar Chord Railway]] known as the ‘Nakodar Branch Line’, [[Jullunder]] to [[Nakodar]], opened 1914, 19 miles(30km)
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'''[[Ludhiana Extension Railway]]''' [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]  Total line length 152 miles(244km). Page 123(pdf132)
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*’Ludhiana-Ferozepore Line’, [[Ludhiana]] to [[Ferozepore]], opened 1905, 77 miles(124km)
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*’Ferozepore-MacLeod Ganj Line’, [[Ferozepore]] to McLeod Ganj (a suburb of [[Dharamsala]]), opened  1906, 75 miles(120km)
  
==Railways absorbed into SPR==
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'''[[Sutlej Valley Railway| Sutlej Valley Extension Railway]]''' [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]  Total line length 208 miles(335km). Pages 124-5(pdf135-6)
*'''[[Sutlej Valley Railway]]''', opened 1910. Constructed as part of Sutlej Valley Irrigation project; merged into SPR, 1917-18. The [[Kasur-Lodhran Railway]] section of this line was dismantled in 1917.
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*[[Kasur-Lodhran Railway]], [[Kasur]] to [[Lodhran]], opened 1910, closed and dismantled 1917-18, 208 miles(335km)
  
==Lines worked by SPR at some time==
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'''[[Ludhiana-Dhuri-Jakhal Railway]]''' [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]  Total line length 79 miles(127km). Page 115(pdf124)
*'''[[Narwana-Kaithal Railway]]''', opened 1899, extended to Kuruksheta, 1910; worked by SPR.
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*[[Ludhiana]] via [[Dhuri]] to [[Jakhal]], opened 1901. Managed, maintained and worked by [[North Western Railway]] (NWR) under an Agreement with the [[Princely states|Princely ]][[Maler Kotla State]] Durbar and the [[Jhind State]] Durbars. The line was used by SPR linking the ’Delhi-Samasata Mainline’ at [[Jakhal]] with '[[Ludhiana Extension Railway]]' at [[Ludhiana]].  
  
 
==Records==
 
==Records==

Revision as of 11:11, 19 December 2016

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 Southern Punjab Railway(SPR) Company was formed in 1895 with Bradford Leslie as Chairman. Under contract with the Secretary of State for India, Leslie and his partners formed the company to build a BG Railway from Delhi to Samasata about 400 miles to the west.

Horace Bell was the Consulting Engineer for SPR in London for the construction.,

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 Network of Lines including Lines Managed and Worked

The listings below are generally based on the “Administration Report on Railways 1918” [2] with page numbers (and pdf pages) noted at the end of each entry.

SPR Mainline and branches BG Total line length 426 miles(685km). Page 121(pdf 130)

Jullundur-Doab Extension Railway BG Total line length 130 miles(209km). Page 123(pdf132)

  • ’Jullunder-Ferozepore Mainline, Jullunder via Karpurthala, Sultanpur Lodi, Lohian Khas, Gidarpind, Makhu to Ferozepore Cantonment, opened 1912-14, 73 miles(117km)

Ludhiana Extension Railway BG Total line length 152 miles(244km). Page 123(pdf132)

  • ’Ludhiana-Ferozepore Line’, Ludhiana to Ferozepore, opened 1905, 77 miles(124km)
  • ’Ferozepore-MacLeod Ganj Line’, Ferozepore to McLeod Ganj (a suburb of Dharamsala), opened 1906, 75 miles(120km)

Sutlej Valley Extension Railway BG Total line length 208 miles(335km). Pages 124-5(pdf135-6)

Ludhiana-Dhuri-Jakhal Railway BG Total line length 79 miles(127km). Page 115(pdf124)

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 [3] 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