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Formed in 1855 with a line from Bombay to Surat. In 1951 the BB&CI merged with Saurashtra, Rajputana and Jaipur railways to become the Western Railway.[[Category:Guaranteed Railways]]
‘Stations’ heading revised and corrections to ‘Textboxes’
{{Line Railways Infobox
|image= Bbciofficebombay.jpg
|caption= ''Churchgate Terminus & Offices, BBCIR, Bombay''
|route= [[Bombay]] to [[Viramgam]]
|gauge1= Broad gauge
|gauge1details= 504 miles (1905)
|gauge2=
|gauge2details=
|gauge3=
|gauge3details=
|gauge4=
|gauge4details=
|timeline1date= 1855
|timeline1details= Formed as [[Guaranteed Railways|Guaranteed company]]
|timeline2date=
|timeline2details=
|timeline3date=
|timeline3details=
|timeline4date=
|timeline4details=
|timeline5date= 1905
|timeline5details= Line acquired by State
|presidency= [[Bombay]]
|stations= [[Ahmedabad]], [[Baroda]], [[Broach]], [[Surat]]
|system1date= 1906
|system1details= Worked by reformed BB&CIR
|system2date=
|system2details=
|system3date=
|system3details=
|auxillary forces=
}}
{{System_Railways_Infobox
|image= Bombay Baroda Central India Railway logo.jpg
|caption= ''Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway device''
|timeline1date= 1906
|timeline1details= BBCIR contracted to work State line
|timeline2date=
|timeline2details=
|timeline3date=
|timeline3details=
|timeline4date=
|timeline4details=
|timeline5date= 1942
|timeline5details= Working of system taken over by State
|company1=
|company1details= [[Ahmedabad-Dholka Railway]]
|company2=
|company2details= [[Ahmedabad-Parantij Railway]]
|company3=
|company3details= [[Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway]]
|company4=
|company4details= [[Gaekwar's Mehsana Railway]]
|company5=
|company5details= [[Godhra-Ratlam-Nagda Railway]]
|company6=
|company6details= [[Nagda-Ujjain Railway]]
|company7=
|company7details= [[Palanpur-Deesa Railway]]
|company8=
|company8details= [[Petlad-Cambay Railway]]
|company9=
|company9details= [[Rajpipla Railway]]
|company10=
|company10details= [[Rajputana-Malwa Railway]]
|company11=
|company11details= [[Tapti Valley Railway]]
|company12=
|company12details= [[Vijapur-Kalol-Kadi Railway]]
|headquarters= [[Bombay]] (BG), [[Ajmer]] (MG)
|workshop= [[Parel]] (BG) see also [[Parel Railway Workshops]] <br>[[Ajmer]] (MG)
|stations= '''[[Agra]]''', [[Ajmer]], [[Ahmedabad]], [[Baroda]],'''[[Bombay]]''', '''[[Cawnpore]]''', '''[[Delhi]]''', [[Indore]], [[Jaipur]], [[Rutlam]], [[Surat]]
''See also heading '''Stations''' for major stations marked'' '''bold'''
|system1date=
|system1details=
|system2date= 1951
|system2details= [[Western Railway]] (IR zone)
|system3date=
|system3details=
|gauge1= Broad gauge
|gauge1details= 868 miles (1905)<br>1233 miles (1943)
|gauge2= Metre gauge
|gauge2details= 2022 miles (1905)<br>1985 miles (1943)
|gauge3= 2'6" NG
|gauge3details= 132 miles (1905)<br>152 miles (1943)
|gauge4=
|gauge4details=
|auxillary forces= [[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Regiment]]
}}
[[File: Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Map 1909, north section.png|thumb| Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Map 1909 – north/east section]]
[[File: Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Map 1909, south section.png|thumb| Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Map 1909 – south/west section]]
[[File:BB&CI Railway System Map 1937.png|thumb| BB&CIR System 1937 Map]]
The '''Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Company''' (BB&CIR) was incorporated in 1855 for "the construction and working of a line from Bombay, ''via'' Surat and Baroda, to Ahmedabad - total about 320 miles. Capital 2,300,000''l''. Rate of Interest Guaranteed - 5 per cent on 2,000,000''l''. capital and 4½ per cent . on 300,000''l''. debentures." <ref>"Money Market and City Intelligence", ''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, 7a.</ref>
== History ==
In 1852 [[John Pitt Kennedy]] was introduced in London to Lieutenant-Colonel French, who had been Acting Resident at the Court of the Guicowar of Baroda. Colonel French wanted to get up a company to construct a line of railway from [[Baroda]] to Tankaria Bunda, in the gulf of Cambay, a distance of about 45 miles. Colonel Kennedy joined him, but instead of the original line proposed, they projected what became the '''Bombay, Baroda, and Central India railway''' <ref name=grace>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Pitt_Kennedy_(1796-1879) Grace's Guide "John Pitt Kennedy"]Retrieved on 21 Apr 2016</ref>.
Their object was to open the most effectual line from Bombay, through the central and north-western districts, to meet the railway in progress of construction from [[Calcutta]] to [[Delhi]], together with all the branches that such a line could require. In 1853 the '''[[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway]] Company'''(BB&CIR) was formed with Colonel [[John Pitt Kennedy]] appointed as consulting engineer and managing director. A staff of engineers was sent to Bombay, and during the cold season of 1853, comparative surveys, sufficient to lay a well-considered scheme before the Government, were made <ref name=grace/>.
On the 3rd of November, 1854, the Governor-General, Lord Dalhousie, sanctioned the construction of the sections [[Broach]], and [[Baroda]], to [[Ahmedabad]], leaving the remainder of the scheme for future decision, and the work to be commenced at [[Bombay]]. The Home Government, however, decided that the work should be commenced at [[Surat]] <ref name=grace/>. Although on flat country, this. line had to traverse some of the mightiest rivers and water channels in the country including the [[Nerbudda (Broach) Bridge BB&CIR| Nerbudda Bridge near Broach]] and the [[Taptee (Surat) Bridge BB&CIR|Taptee Bridge near Surat]]
Construction commenced in 1855 and began work on track from [[Baroda]] to [[Surat]]. By 1865, the [[Bombay]]-[[Surat]]-[[Baroda]]-[[Ahmedabad]] route was complete in 1867. The [[Bombay Back Bay Reclamation Scheme Railway|Bombay Back Bay]] suburban service commenced in 1870 with one train in each direction each day. In 1871 the [[Bombay-Ahmadabad BB&CIR Main Line|Bombay-Ahmadabad Main Line]] was extended north to [[Viramgam]] to 350 miles (563km).
The [[1870-71_Report_on_Railways#Progress_on_State_lines._Paragraphs_5-10.3B_Pages_3-4| “1870-71 Annual Report for Indian Railways for the BB&CIR“]] gives:- [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|‘Broad Gauge (BG)]] Line sanctioned 391 miles(629km), total line opened 312 miles(502km) and 72 miles(116km) to be finished’. The Report also details of the [[1870-71_Report_on_Railways#Bombay.2C_Baroda_and_Central_India_Railway._Paragraphs_67.2C68.3B_Page_35|‘progress of the railway and the commercial summery’]] - ''see separate pages for details.''
On 31 December 1905, ownership of the BB&CIR passed to the Government of India [[Government of India |(GoI)]] and a new company formed to manage the BB&CIR under a contract agreed in 1907 and revised in 1913<ref>[https://ia801009.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 12-22]; Retrieved 17 Dec 2015</ref>
<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228649/8330.pdf H.M. Government “Statute Law Repeals: Nineteenth Report : Draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill; April 2012"; page 118-120, paragraph 3.18-3.25] Retrieved on 2 January 2016</ref>.
Management of the BB&CIR passed to the GoI on 1 January 1942.
In 1951, the BB&CIR was split to form three Zones of [[Indian Railways]]:-
*‘[[Western Railway]] Zone’ comprised most of the BB&CIR (less the Delhi-Rewari-Fazilka and Kanpur/Cawnpore-Achnera sections) , which were added to other railways [[Western Railway|- ''see separate page'']]
*‘[[Northern Railway]] Zone’ comprised the ‘Delhi-Rewari-Fazilka Section’ , which were added to other railways [[Northern Railway| - ''see separate page'']]
*‘[[North Eastern Railway]] Zone’ comprised the ‘Kanpur/Cawnpore-Achnera Section’ , which were added to other railways [[North Eastern Railway| - ''see separate page'']]
==BB&CIR Collieries and Coal Supplies==
''See separate pages''
* ‘[[Jarangdih Colliery]] was a 'Joint BB&CIR and [[Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway| 'Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway']] Colliery
* ‘[[Kurasia Colliery]] near Chirimiri was a 'BB&CIR Colliery’
==BB&CIR Bridges and Constructions==
See [[Bombay,_Baroda_%26_Central_India_Railway_Bridges_and_Constructions| '''BB&CIR Bridges and Constructions''']]
==BB&CIR Main line, Branches and Extensions==
The BB&CIR owned and operated an extensive network of railways of mixed gauge
* Broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) - 868 miles/1397km (1905); 997 miles/1604km (1918); 1233 miles/1984km (1943)
* Metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) - 2022 miles/3254km (1905); 1822 miles/2931km (1918); 1985/3195km miles (1943)
* Narrow gauge 2ft 6in([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) - 132 miles/212km (1905); 326 miles/523km (1918); 152 miles/245km (1943)
In 1918 the total length of line being worked as the BB&CIR system (both owned lines and managed/worked lines) was 3823 miles(6150km) opened plus a further 254 miles(407km) under construction or sanctioned for construction <ref name=Admin>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n21/mode/1up “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 12, pdf page 21]; Retrieved 4 Nov 2016</ref> .
See separate page '''[[Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway Network - Lines owned and worked]]''' for details.
==Lines worked by BB&CIR==
The BB&CIR also managed, worked and maintained a number of mixed gauge lines on behalf of other parties.
* Broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) - 1918 Total 202 miles(325km) <ref name=Admin/>.
* Metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) - 1918 Total 456 miles(733km) <ref name=Admin/>.
* Narrow gauge 2ft 6in([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) - 1918 Total 326 miles(523km) <ref name=Admin/>.
See separate page '''[[Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway Network - Lines owned and worked]]''' for details.
==Stations==
See separate pages for details of the Stations and Rail System into the following major Cities:-
* [[Agra_Railways_%26_Stations#Agra_Stations| ‘Agra Stations’]]
* [[Bombay_Churchgate_HQ_and_Station_BB%26CIR| ‘ Bombay Churchgate Stations’]]
*[[Bombay_Central_Station_BB%26CIR| ‘Bombay Central Station’ from 1930]]
* [[Cawnpore_Railways_and_Stations#Cawnpore_Stations| ‘Cawnpore Stations’]]
* [[Delhi_Railways_%26_Stations#Delhi_Stations| ‘Delhi Stations’]]
==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 21 Jan 2016</ref> gives a large number of references. The most important being:-
*'''L /AG/46/6''' “Records of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Company; 1856-1947”
==Personnel Records==
Unfortunately, there are no BB&CIR staff records held in the [[India Office Records]] at the [[British Library]].
Only some records that have been found from different sources:-
See separate page '''[[Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway Personnel]]''' for details.
==Historical books online==
*[https://archive.org/details/throughrajputan00stubgoog ''Through Rajputana to Delhi : An Ilustrated Guide to the Districts Reached by the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway''] by Carlton Stubbs 1907 Archive.org
*[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.57412 ''Bombay Baroda Central India Railway Company: Traffic Statistics''] 1920. Archive.org, mirror from Digital Library of India.
:[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.57589 ''Bombay Baroda Central India Railway Company: Traffic Statistics''] 1921. Archive.org, mirror from Digital Library of India.
== References ==
<references />
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[[Category:Railways]]
