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[[File:Holkar and Scindia-Neemuch Railway.png|thumb|Holkar State Railway – marked in '''Blue''']][[File:Holker State Railway, 1878 from IOR.png|thumb|'''Holkar State Railway, 1878 from IOR/V/24/3590 ''']]
→History: 1870/71 Report and internal link added
The '''Holkar State Railway''' opened in 1874 as a metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) line from the [[Great Indian Peninsula Railway|‘Great Indian Peninsula Railway’(GIPR)]] station at [[Khandwa]] running northward, reaching [[Indore]] in 1876 with the opening of the '''[[Holkar-Narmada Bridge]]''' over the River Narmada. The length of the line was 86 miles(138km). The line was financed by the Maharaja of Holkar of [[Indore]] and was owned by the [[Princely states|Princely ]][[Indore State]]. ''The railway marked in '''Blue''' on the map''.
The line was initially worked jointly with the MG [[ScindiaSindia-Neemuch State Railway|‘Scindia‘Sindia-Neemuch State Railway’ - '''see separate page for information'']] which opened northward from [[Indore]]. Together the two lines were worked as a joint operation under the title the '''[[Holkar & ScindiaSindia-Neemuch RailwayState Railways]]'''.
Some records refer to this railway as the ‘Holkar Division’ (Khandwa to Indore, 86 Miles/138km) and the ‘Indore Division’ (Indore to Rutlam, 74 miles/119km plus Ujjain Branch, 12 miles/19km). These being divisions of the ‘[[Holkar & ScindiaSindia-Neemuch RailwayState Railways]]’ <ref name=Holkar&SNR>British Library ‘India Office Records’ IOR/V/24/3590 ‘Report on the progress and administration of the Holkar and Sindia-Neemuch State Railways, 1878/79’</ref>.
An objection from the [[Great Indian Peninsula Railway|‘Great Indian Peninsula Railway’(GIPR)]] to the construction of this line to the metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) describes this line as the [[Khundwah and Indore Railway Gauge Objection| '''Khundwah and Indore Railway ''' - ''see separate page for further information'']]. The objection was that this railway should be constructed as a broad gauge ([[Rail_gauge_#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) line to provide an unbroken link between the GIPR and the NWR - both being BG systems. This objection was overruled by the [[Government of India]] and metre gauge lines were permitted [[Rail gauge#Gauge Question|''See page ‘Gauge Question’ for further information'']]
[[File:Holkar and Sindia-Neemuch Railway.png|thumb|Holkar State Railway – marked in '''Blue''']]
[[File:Holker State Railway, 1878 from IOR.png|thumb|'''Holkar State Railway, 1878 from IOR/V/24/3590 ''']]
==Location Spelling Notes==
‘Holkar State’ does not exist, it was only the name given to the railway, the correct name is [[Indore|’Indore State’]]<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indore_State Wikipedia "Indore State"]; Retrieved 7 Jun 2018</ref>
The [[Government of India]] accepted payment from the Maharaja Holkar of Indore towards the construction of a railway from the [[Great Indian Peninsula Railway]](GIPR) station at [[Khandwa]] to his capital city of [[Indore]] and in March 1870 preliminary Surveys were started .
[[1870-71_Report_on_Railways#Progress_on_State_lines._Paragraphs_5-10.3B_Pages_3-4|The 1872 ‘Report ‘1870-71 Annual Report for Indian Railways’]] uses the title ‘Indore to Khundwa Railway‘ with 84 miles (135km) metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) sanctioned for construction. The ‘1871-72 Report on Railways in India’ <ref>[https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=tytcAAAAQAAJ&printsec=GBS.PP561&pg=GBS.RA13-PA1 ‘Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Vol 19, 1872’ pdf pages 596-598 “Annual Report on Railways in India for 1871-72” - ‘Indore or Holkar State Railway’ Para 86, page 37, pdf 597]; Retrieved 7 Jun 2018</ref> names this as the “Indore or Holkar State Railway” and states:-
“This line starts from Khundwah''(see spelling note) '', a station on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, 352 miles from Bombay, crosses the Nerbudda River 23 miles south of Barwaie, ascends the Vindhyrange through the Choral Valley, and passes through [[Mhow]] to [[Indore]]. Its length will be about 86 miles. The works have commenced under a contract, and are being pursued vigorously. It is estimated the line will cost about £900,000. Maharajah Holkar has engaged to lend the British Government £1,000,000 at 4½% p.a. to carry out the line, he will participate in half the surplus profit over the 4½% if any, in proportion to the extent of his loan.“
*[[Rajputana State Railway]] (RSR)
*'''Holkar State Railway'''
*[[ScindiaSindia-Neemuch State Railway]]
*[[Neemuch Nasirabad State Railway]]
*[[Western Rajputana State Railway]]
*[[Ernest Ifill Shadbolt]], who later became Director of Railway Construction for the Government of India, was Assistant Engineer, Construction.
*[[James Rhind]] in 1873 went to India, and served in the Locomotive Department, 'receiving certificates of good service from his superior officers' before travelling back to England <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/James_Rhind Grace's Guide "James Rhind"] Retrieved on 25 Jul 2016</ref>.
*[[Henry Dangerfield]] in 1878 transferred to ‘Holkar State Railway’ and [[ScindiaSindia-Neemuch State Railway]], transferred as Superintendent of Way and Works, and he held this post till Dec 1880, being also manager of the line for the last two years <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Henry_Dangerfield Grace's Guide "Henry Dangerfield"] Retrieved on 25 Jul 2016</ref>.*[[James Condor]] was appointed Manager of ‘Holkar State Railway’ in 1881. He was, at the same time Manager of [[Sindia-Neemuch State Railway]] and [[Neemuch Nasirabad State Railway]]<ref> [https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=b2NPAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en_GB&pg=GBS.PA465 Google Books " India List and India Office List, 1905" page 465 (pdf page 428)] Retrieved on 23 May 2016</ref>..
The 1878-79 Record, para 7, for the Engineering Department states “[[Henry Dangerfield| Mr. H. Dangerfield]], Superintendent of Way and Works, is Officiating as Manager of the line during the absence of [[William Sinclair Smith Bisset| Captain W. S. S. Bisset, R. E.,]] on field service, and Mr. W. C. L. Floyd, Executive Engineer, 4th Grade, is appointed to the charge of the Holkar Division, Holkar State Railway, and Mr. R. E. Wright, Executive Engineer, 4th Grade, to the charge of the Indore Division, Neemuch State Railway, Mr. Ker, Assistant Engineer, having been transferred to another line and Mr. Landon having gone on furlough”. Para 43 Traffic Department, states “Mr. W. E. Hartt has been in charge of this department, and Mr. C. E. Vining, an additional Assistant Traffic Superintendent, was appointed to the line in March 1879” <ref name=Holkar&SNR/>
==Further Information==
See also '''[[Holkar & ScindiaSindia-Neemuch RailwayState Railways]] '''
<br>see'''[[Rajputana-Malwa State Railway]]''' for period from 1881-82 to 1900
<br>and '''[[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway]]''' from 1900 onwards
