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The In 1904/5, to ensure better management, the BCR opened between 1882 and 1884. It was merged with into the [[Eastern Bengal State Railway]] (EBR) that had been formed in 1884 by the GoI and expanded in 1887 from the amalgamation of other lines working in 1904the region.The former BCR lines became the basis of the Kulna Branch Railway of the EBR network.<ref>Railway Raj Safari 1a by Keith Scholey</ref>
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The '''Bengal Central Railway''' (BCR) was an un-guaranteed , privately owned, company formed in 1881 to build and operate a broad gauge ([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) railway from [[Bangaon]] via [[Jessore]] to [[Khulna]].
The 'Bengal Central Railway Company' was formed and launched in July 1881 and raised over £1 million initially … "The Company was found to be a pure financing vehicle when, a matter of months after listing, the operations of the line were subcontacted to the wealthy [[Eastern Bengal Railway]] Company(EBR) ... The price of EBR’s ... shares reacted positively to this arrangement ... in June 1882, after which EBR was purchased by the Government of India([[Government of India |GoI]])... BCR management reverted to the GoI at that time.”
<ref>[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-u45CgAAQBAJ&pg=PT92&lpg=PT92&dq=Bengal+Central+Railway&source=bl&ots=_g7fsMtoW4&sig=tubQHwdNG9zS51eQVpOBCafTHYM&hl=fr&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjYtf2g8_jJAhWEgA8KHVT7AO4Q6AEIVzAI#v=onepage&q=Bengal%20Central%20Railway&f=false "Financing India's Imperial Railways, 1875–1914" by Stuart Sweeney]; Retrieved 27 Dec 2015</ref>
Note : The EBR became the [[Eastern Bengal State Railway]], owned and managed by the Government of India (GoI), on 30 June 1884.
== History ==
The Company constructed two BG lines
[[Ranaghat]] to [[Bangaon]] , 21 miles(33km), opened in October 1882
[[Dum Dum]] to [[Khulna]] via [[Bangoan]] , 108 miles(172km) opened in stages and completed in 1884.
== Records ==
Refer to FIBIS Fact File #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 1845-1947” - available from the [http://www.fibis.org/store/fibis-books-and-publications/bff-0004-research-sources-for-indian-railways-1845-1947/ 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<ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid== Records ==IAMS_VU2 “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search "]; Retrieved 20 Jan 2016</ref> gives 27 references. The most important being:- *''' L/AG/46/4''' “Records of the Bengal Central Railway Company; 1856-1906”*''' L/AG/46/24''' “Records of the India Office relating to the Bengal Central Railway Company; 1903-1916”
==Personnel Records=='''List of Employees''' The following record is held in the [[India Office Records]] at the [[British Library]] but has applicable*''' L/AG/46/4/11''' "List of employees" (1886-1896)”. ''Research comment - not been included in the index, Z/L/AG/46.''
'''Miscellaneous Records'''*[[Willoughby Charles Furnivall]] was 'on loan''Lfrom [[Railway Branch - PWD]] during the period 1874-90 in charge of a number of locally administered State railways, which included the BCR <ref>[http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/AGdoi/46abs/410.1680/11''' : List bdoceigbai.58347.222 Institution of Civil Engineers "Biographical Dictionary of employees (1886Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland -1896)Furnivall, Willoughby Charles"]; Retrieved on 21 Jul 2016</ref>.
'''Following merger with EBR in 1904/5''' this railway became a State Railway; a search of the following may yield a result
*'''L/F/8/1-20''' "Appointments to State Railways made in the UK 1855-1946"
*'''Z/L/F/8/1-2''' Index to Appointments to State Railways made in the UK 1855-1946"
== External links Links==*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangaon_railway_station "Bangaon Railway Station"] Wikipedia
==Further Information==See [http://www.railway.gov.bd/history Bangladesh [Eastern Bengal Railway, "Brief History"- Lines owned and worked]]
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Railways]]
[[Category:Private Railways]]
[[Category:State Railways]]
