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The '''[[File:Bengal-Dooars Railway''' (BDR) was a company owned and operated collection of small metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_GaugeMap 1909.png|thumb|MG]]) lines that ran from its junction with the [[Eastern Bengal Dooars RailwayMap 1909]] north west towards the [[Bhutan]] border.<ref>[httpsFile://ia801009Bengal Dooars Railway 1931 Map.us.archive.org/8/items/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System.pdf " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 163png|thumb|Bengal Dooars Railway Map 1931]]; Retrieved 17 Dec 2015</ref>

The '''Bengal Dooars Railway''' (BDR) was a company owned and operated collection of small metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) lines that ran from its junction with the [[Eastern Bengal Railway]] north west towards the [[Bhutan]] border<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n173/mode/1up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 165]; Retrieved 18 Aug 2020</ref> The lines were constructed for the opening of the Western Dooars and for the development of the tea industry<ref name=Hist1937>[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 .org pdf download of ‘History Of Indian Railways, constructed and in progress’, 31 March 1937 by ‘The Government of India - Railway Department’ page 219-221, pdf 260-262 ]; Retrieved 18 Aug 2020</ref>. Confusingly, the later lines are listed separately as the '''Bengal Dooars Extensions Railway''' in railway statistics, although they form an integral part of its system; these being State funded extensions and passed to BDR on completion<ref>[https://ia801009.us.archive.org/8/itemsstream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System.pdf #page/n175/mode/1up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 167]; Retrieved 17 Dec 201518 Aug 2020</ref>.

== Branch Bengal Doors Railway Lines ==*'''The following mainly based on the 1937 ‘Report on Railways’<ref name=Hist1937/> and 1918 ‘Administrration Report’ <ref name=Admin>[[Ramsai Branch Railwayhttps://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n165/mode/1up “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 165 (pdf 174)]]''' (Metre gauge; Retrieved 17 Aug 2020</ref>: 6 -* ‘Main Line’ total line length in 1893 31.0 miles(50km); Lataguri Junction after 1931 28.4 miles(46km)** ‘East Bank of the Teesta (Barnes Ghat) to Ramsai Domohani Section’, about 4.3 miles(6 7km), opened 1893, abandoned 1931** ‘Domohani to Dam Dim Section’, 26.7 miles(43km) - , opened 11 June 1893; this served a remote tea garden at Ramsai ** ‘Mile 66 to Domohani Section’, 2.7 miles(362 4km), opened 1931* ‘Branch Lines’ total line length 1893 5.6 miles(9km), after 1933 11.1 miles(18km)*'''* ‘Lataguri Junction to Ramshai Section’, 5.6 miles(9km), opened 1893. First described as the ‘[[Madari Hat Ramsai Branch Railway]]''' ’ serving the remote tea garden at Ramsai** ‘Domohani to Barnes Ghat Section’, 5.5 miles(Metre gauge: 44 9km), opened 1933 ==Bengal Doors Extensions Railway Lines==The following mainly based on the 1937 ‘Report on Railways’<ref name=Hist1937/> and 1918 ‘Administrration Report’ <ref name=Admin/>* ‘Eastern Extension’ total line length 48.8 miles(78km); Mal ** ‘Mal Junction to Chalsa (Junction Section’, 5 .1 miles(8km)- , opened 1 April 1901; Chalsa ** ‘Chalsa Junction to Madarihat Section’ via Chengmari and Dalgaon, 38.5 miles(14 miles62km) - , opened 1 January 1903; Chengmari . First described as the ‘ [[Madari Hat Branch Railway]]’** ‘Chalsa Junction to Dalgaon Metelli Section’, 5.2 miles(16 8km), opened 1918. First described as the ‘[[Metelli Branch Railway]]’* ‘Southern Extension’ total line length in 1900 65.8 miles(105km) - opened 23 March 1903; Dalgaon 66.1 miles(106km)** ‘Barnes Junction to Madari Hat Mile 61½ Section’, about 4.2 miles(9 6km), opened 1900, abandoned 1931** ‘Mile 06 to Mile 61½ Section’, 4.5 miles(7km) -, opened 14 June 19031931** ‘Mile 61½ to Lalmanirhat Section’ via Baura and Bhotemari, 61.2 miles(98km) , opened 1900*'''‘Western Section’ total line length 5.7 miles(10km). First described as the ‘[[Metelli Branch Dam Dim-Bagrakote Extension Railway]]''' ’** ‘Dam Dim to Oodlabari Section’, 2.8 miles(Metre gauge: 5 4km), opened 1901** ‘Oodlabari to Bagrakote Section’, 3.9 miles(6km); Chalsa Junction , opened 1902 The ‘Statistics of Working’ show the year-by-year financial results <br>For ‘Bengal Dooars Railway’ from 1893 through to Metelli 1936-37 with the route mileage rising from 36½ miles(5 km) to 39½ miles(km) by 1933 <ref name=Hist1937/><br>For ‘Bengal Dooars Extension’ from 1900 through to 1936- opened 10 June 37 with the route mileage rising from 121 miles(km) to 121 miles(km) by 1918-19 <ref name=Hist1937/> == Classification ==[[Indian Railway Classification]] of 1926 - Class II railway system. ==Connecting and Associated Lines==*'''‘[[Kurigram Branch Railway]]''' ’ (Narrow gauge: 15 miles); Tista Junction to Kurigram - opened 6 February 1882. This line is a remnant of the Kaunia Dharle Railway‘Kaunia Dharlia Railway’, the most part of which was converted to metre gauge and incorporated in the main Assam line.*'''‘[[Dam DimKaunia-Bagrakote Extension Dharlia State Tram/Railway]]’, constructed c.1885 by [[East Bengal Railway]](EBR) as Narrow Gauge Tram. Converted to Medium Gauge, 1901 with part to EBR'''s ‘[[Gauhati Branch Railway]]’; an extension part to BDR opened 1891-92‘[[Kurigram Branch Railway]]’ mentioned above.*'''‘[[Lalmonirhat-Gitaldaha(Geetaldaha) Railway]]'''; ’, a link between BDR and ‘[[Cooch Behar Railway]]; ’, opened c.1900 ==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=IAMS_VU2 “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search"]; Retrieved 20 Jan 2016</ref> gives 18 references. The most important being:- *'''L/AG/46/25''' “Records of the India Office relating to the Bengal Dooars Railway Company; 1895-1927” *'''L/F/7/285-289''' “Collection 29: Bengal Dooars Railway; 1926-1945” ==Personnel==Staff records have not been found.

== Associate Lines ==The 1905 Civil List gives one record*'''[[Kaunia-Dharlia State Tram/RailwayJohn Monthermer Montague]]'''. Constructed c.1885 by East Bengal Railway(EBR) as Narrow Gauge Tram. Converted to Medium Gauge, 1901 with part to EBR's '''Executive Engineer from the [[Gauhati Branch RailwayPublic Works Department]]was '''; part from 1899 on loan to the Bengal Dooars Railway Company'''<ref>[[Kurigram Branch Railwayhttps://play.google.com/books/reader?id=b2NPAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en_GB&pg=GBS.PA569 Google Books " India List and India Office List, 1905" page 569 (pdf page 532)]]''' mentioned aboveRetrieved on 27 May 2016</ref>.