Changes

|route= [[Calcutta]] to [[Faridpur]] (BG) with branches to<br>[[Budge -Budge]], [[Diamond Harbour]], [[Lalgola]]

|timeline2date= 1868|timeline2details= [[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]] mergertaken over

|timeline4date= 1915|timeline4details= Opening of [[Hardinge Bridge]] at Sara Ghat

|stations= '''[[Sealdah|Calcutta Sealdah]]''', [[Dum Dum]], [[Naihati]], [[Kaliganga]], [[Rajbari]], [[Goalundo]], [[Ranaghat]], [[Krishnagar]], [[Plassey]], [[Murshidabad]], [[Bangaon]], [[Jessore]],See also separate page [[Calcutta_Railways_%26_Stations#Sealdah_Station| ''' Calcutta Seadah Station''']] for details

|company1= 1884|company1details= [[Eastern Bengal Railway]]|company2=1868

|workshopstations= See also separate page [[KanchraparaCalcutta_Railways_%26_Stations#Sealdah_Station| ''' Calcutta Seadah Station''']]for details|stationsworkshop= [[BangaonKanchrapara]], [[JessoreSaidpur]] <br>''See'' [[EBR Railway Workshops]],

The '''[[File: Eastern Bengal Railway''' (EBR) was formed in 1857 for "the construction and working of a line from [[Calcutta]] to [[Dacca]], with a branch to [[Jessore]]Map 1909. Capital 1,000,000''l''. This amount has been sanctioned for the line from Calcutta to the Ganges at Kooshtee([[Kushtiapng|thumb| Eastern Bengal Railway Map 1909]]), near Pubnah, about 80 miles, all that is authorised to be proceeded with at present. Rate of Interest Guaranteed - 5 per cent on 1,000,000''l''." ¹

== History ==The first construction started in October 1859 and the first train ran between '''Eastern Bengal Railway''' Company (EBR) was formed as a [[Sealdah]] and [[RanaghatGuaranteed Railways|Guaranteed Railway]] company in September 1862. Thereafter further phases considerably extended 1857 for "the reach construction and working of the a line and, by 1866, it linked from [[Calcutta]] to [[KushtiaDacca]]. The company had also acquired , with a steam vessel service operating between branch to [[KushtiaJessore]] and . Capital 1,000,000''l''. This amount has been sanctioned for the line from Calcutta to the Ganges at Kooshtee([[DaccaKushtia]]), near Pubnah, about 80 miles, all that is authorised to be proceeded with at present.Rate of Interest Guaranteed - 5 per cent on 1,000,000''l'' " <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"; pages 127-8Money Market and City Intelligence", ''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, paragraphs 37a.51 - 3.55] Retrieved on 2 January 2016</ref>.

==History==The first construction started in October 1859. Isambard Kingdom Brunel had been engaged in Britain as consulting engineer to the EBR became the '''Eastern Bengal State Railway'''(EBSR)and [[Bradford Leslie]], an English civil engineer who specialised in bridges, owned was sent to India as engineer in charge of bridges and managed by viaducts. He supervised the Government building of Indiathe [[East_Bengal_Railway_Bridges#Ichamati_River_Railway_Bridge|Eschamutter(Ichamati)]] and [[Government of India East_Bengal_Railway_Bridges#Kumar_River_Railway_Bridge|GoIKoomar(Kumar)]])river bridges before returning to Britain in 1861. He returned to India in 1865 and became Chief Engineer and Agent <ref> [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_Leslie Wikipedia "Bradford Leslie"]; Retrieved on 5 May 2016</ref><ref>[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=PpJMCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT74&lpg=PT74&dq=southern+punjab+railway+company&source=bl&ots=R1AsTgkegr&sig=CzpHod72_VMtjRKj6Ire4zWNOV4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjyqrig1rXMAhVrJMAKHY0EDRc4ChDoAQg3MAU#v=onepage&q=southern%20punjab%20railway%20company&f=false Google Books “New Delhi: The Last Imperial City- Sir Bradford Leslie and the meaning of Empire, Chapter 5.3” by D. Johnson, Richard Watson"]; Retrieved on 30 June 1884 2 Jun 2016</ref>.

The GoI merged the '[[Calcutta Brassey & Co|Brassey, Wythes and South Eastern RailwayPaxman Partenership]] into undertook the EBSR, and several others in 1887. In 1904, the EBSR took over construction of the EBR a line of 112 miles(179km) from [[Bengal Central RailwayCalcutta]] which it had previously been working, and the to [[Brahmaputra-Sultanpur RailwayKushtia|Kooshtea(Kushtia)]]. In 1915, the system reverted to on the style, '''Eastern Bengal Railway'''River Ganges.<ref>The line opened in stages from [[https://ia801009.us.archive.org/8/items/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System.pdf " Administration Report on the Railways Calcutta]] in India – corrected up 1862 and completed through to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; pages 42(BG); 47(MG); 52(NG)[[Kushtia]; Retrieved 17 Dec 2015</ref><ref>[http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Railway Banglapedia "National Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh" Railway]; Retrieved 17 Dec 2015</ref><ref>[http://inforailin 1864.blogspot.com/2012/10/brief-history-of-bangladesh-railway.html "Brief History of Bangladesh Railway" Bangladesh Railway Information]; Retrieved 17 Dec 2015</ref>

During 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 1920s, the EBR continued to grow by merger and amalgamation Eastern Bengal Railway“]] gives:- [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|‘Broad Gauge (BG)]] Line sanctioned 159 miles(256km), and also began to convert sections which included 45 miles(72km)of metre and narrow gauge Line opened 1870 with nil to eliminate rail bottlenecksbe finished’. On 1 January 1941, the GoI acquired The Report also details the [[Bengal Dooars Railway1870-71_Report_on_Railways#Eastern_Bengal_Railway._Paragraphs_76-78.3B_Page_36|‘progress of the railway and the commercial summery’]] and merged it into the EBR- ''see separate pages for Report details.''

[[Franklin Prestage]] became the Agent for the EBR in the early 1870's. In 1942its original contract with the Secretary of State for India, the GoI merged the EBR with Company was to open a rail-line to [[Darjeeling]]. However the [[Assam Bengal RailwayGovernment of India]] took a decision to stop expansion of rail-lines by Guaranteed companies in new areas and instead decided to create construct and manage new rail-lines as [[:Category:State Railways|State Railways]]. Prestage resigned from EBR and in 1879 set up the [[Bengal and Assam RailwayDarjeeling Steam Tramway]]Company <ref>[http://www.irfca.org/articles/eminent-railwaymen.html#prestage “Eminent Railwaymen of Yesteryears” by R R Bhandari July 2008, reproduced by IRFCA ''Indian Railways Fan Club'']Retrieved on 2 Jun 2016</ref>.

==Branch Lines and extensions==*[[Budge-Budge Branch Railway]] opened 1890. Branch line of The EBR*[[Canning Branch Railway]] opened 1862-63. Branch line of EBR *[[Chitpur Branch Railway]] opened 1873. Branch line of EBR *[[Dalsingpara Branch Railway]] opened after 1811. Branch of Jainti Section of EBR ; under construction in 1911*[[Dhubri Branch Railway]] opened 1902. Branch of Assam Section of EBR.*[[Faridpur Branch Railway]] opened 1898-99. Branch from Poradaha Section of EBR*[[Gauhati Branch Railway]] opened 1906. Part of Assam Section of EBR incorporating part of [[Kaunia-Dharlia State Tram/Railway]]; extended up to 1909*[[Goalundo Branch Railway]] opened 1862. Branch from Poradaha Section of EBR ; extended up to 1882.*[[Godagari Ghat Branch Railway]] opened 1909. Branch from Katihar Section of EBR *[[Jainti Branch Railway]] opened 1900-1. Branch of Jainti Section of EBR*[[Jagannathganj Ghat Branch Railway]] opened c.1887?. Branch from became the Dacca Section of EBR (Narayanganj to Bahadurabad Ghat section*[[Jogbani Branch Railway]] opened 1887. Branch from Katihar Section of EBR ; extended 1909*[[Kankurgachi Chord Railway]] opened 1907. Short connecting section of EBR*[[Katihar Branch Railway]] opened 1883. Branch of Katihar Section of EBR ; opened 1883 and extended 1889*[[Kaunia-Bonarpara Extension Railway]] opened 1905. Extension to EBR network*[[Khulna Branch Railway]] opened 1883-4. Originally [[Bengal Central Railway]]; in 1905 became Branch line of EBR *[[Kishanganj Branch Railway]] opened 1892. Branch from Katihar Section of EBR*[[Kurigram Branch Railway]] opened 1882. Branch line of '''Eastern Bengal State Railway*[[Lalgola Ghat Branch Railway]] opened 1905. Branch line of EBR ; opened 1905, extended 1907*[[Lalmonirhat-Gitaldaha'''(GeetaldahaEBSR) Railway]] opened c.1900. Link between [[Bengal Dooars Railway]] , owned and [[Cooch Behar State Railway]].*[[Manihari Branch Railway]] opened 1887. Branch from Katihar Section managed by the Government of EBR *India([[Murshidabad Branch Railway]] opened 1909. Branch line Government of EBR*[[Patipukur Loop RailwayIndia |GoI]] opened 1904), on 30 June 1884. Chord line of EBR for goods*[[Raiti Branch Railway]] opened 1910. Branch from Poradaha Section of EBR*[[Tanga Branch Railway]]. Branch of Assam Section of EBR ; under construction, 1911

==Railways absorbed into EBR==*[[Bengal Central Railway]] opened 1882. Private company without guarantee; The GoI merged into EBR , 1905*the broad gauge([[Bengal Dooars RailwayRail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]](BDR) opened 1893. Independent Company operation small MG network; merged into EBR , 1941*[[Brahmaputra-Sultanpur Railway]] opened 1899. Amalgamated with EBR , 1904 together with [[Phulchari Branch Railway]] and [[Santahar-Kaunia Loop Railway]]. *[[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]] opened 1862. Surrendered to [[Government of India |GoI]] , 1 Apr 1868; Worked by State, 1868-70; by EBR, 1870-74; merged into EBRthe EBSR, 1884*[[Cooch Behar State Railway]] opened 1893. State railway, worked and finally bought by EBR in 1887 several c.1899*[[Dacca State Railway]] opened 1885. Formerly [[Narayanganj-Dacca-Mymensingh State Railway]] ; merged into EBR , 1887; becoming Dacca Section of EBR *metre gauge([[Diamond Harbour Line Railway]] opened 1862. First opened as [[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]]; merged into EBR , 1884*[[Kaunia-Dharlia State Tram/Railway]] opened 1884-85. Constructed by EBR as [[Rail_gaugeRail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|NGMG]] Tram, converted to ) and narrow gauge [[Rail_gauge#Metre_GaugeNarrow_Gauge|NG]], 1901; part to EBR Gauhati Branch ; part to BDR Kurigram Branch railways*[[Kaunia-Kurigram Railway]] opened c.1885. Narrow gauge(NG); merged into EBR 1887; converted to metre gauge 1928/29.*[[Mymensingh-Jamalpur-Jagannath Railway]] opened 1898. Owned by [[Indian General Navigation and Railway Company]]; worked and finally purchased by EBR * [[Northern Bengal State Railway]](NBSR)opened 1877. Merged into EBR , 1887; becoming Railways – this giving the three Rail Gauges that made up the EBR North Bengal Section*[[Poradah Branch Railway]] opened c.1880network. Constructed by [[Northern Bengal State Railway]](NBSR) but worked by EBR; apparently taken over by EBR c.1913*[[Ranagat-Bangaon Railway]] opened 1882. Opened as part of [[Bengal Central Railway]]; became section of EBR , 1905*[[Ranaghat-Krishnagar Light Railway]] opened 1899. Narrow gauge(NG), via Shantipur. Constructed by [[Martin's Light Railways]] Company taken over by EBR, 1904*[[Santipur-Nabadwip Light Railway]] opened 1898. Constructed by [[Martin's Light Railways]] Company; taken over by EBR , 1904 *[[Sara-Sirajgonj Railway]] opened 1915-16. Private company, worked by EBR, finally purchased by EBR

==Lines worked by EBR at some time==*[[Khulna-Bagerhat Railway]] opened 1918-19. Narrow gauge(NG) railway; constructed in 1918. Worked by EBR*[[Lalmonirhat-Gitaldaha(Geetaldaha) Railway]] opened c.1900. Link between [[In 1915, the system reverted to the style, '''Eastern Bengal Dooars Railway]] and [[Cooch Behar State Railway]], jointly worked'''.*[[Teesta-Kurigram Railway]] opened c.1885. Section of [[Kaunia-Kurigram Railway]] , worked by EBR*[[Netrakona-Mohanganj Railway]] was constructed between 1912 and 1918 by the Mymensingh–Bhairab Bazar Railway Company, worked by EBR

==Train Ferry Links EBR==*[[Pandu Ghat-Gauhati Railway]] opened c.1908 Link constructed by EBR to link During the [[Amingaon-Pandu Train Ferry]]. Rail transhipment by ferry crossing 1920s, the Brahmaputra River linking EBR system continued to [[Assam Bengal Railway]](ABR)'s network. Worked grow by ABR; transferred merger and amalgamation, and also began to ABR, 1922*[[Sara Train Ferry]] opened c.1899. Ferry link from EBR main line across Ganges convert sections of metre and narrow gauge to Sara taking Goods wagonseliminate rail bottlenecks. Operated until 1915 on opening of Hardinge Bridge

==Records==Refer to FIBIS Fact File #4: “Research sources for Indian RailwaysOn 1 January 1941, 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 GoI acquired the [[India Office RecordsBengal Dooars Railway]] (IOR) held at and merged it into the [[British Library]]EBR.

An on-line search of In 1942, the IOR records relating to this railway<ref>GoI merged the EBR with the [[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=IAMS_VU2 British Library “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search]; Retrieved 22 Jan 2016</ref> gives many references. The most important being:-*'''L /AG/46/10 ''' “Eastern Assam Bengal Railway Company; 1856-1885*'''L /AG/46/30 ''' “Records of the India Office relating ]] to create the Eastern [[Bengal and Assam Railway Company; 1885-1920”]].

The following employment records are relevant :-*'''L/AG/46/10/35''' “Contracts of appointment (1862-1869)” See index on [http://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_components&id=904&s_idEBR Personnel ==243 Fibis Database]The above is partially indexed in*See separate page '''Z/L/AG/46''' “Index to UK Appointments to Indian Railways (1849-1925)”The following is not included in the index Z/L/AG/46.*'''L/AG/46/10/35[[Eastern Bengal Railway Personnel]]''' “Lists of staff, 1879-1881”

==PersonnelEBR Lines owned and worked ==*[[Bradford Leslie]] was an English civil engineer who specialised The development of the EBR network is detailed in bridges and was a pupil of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Brunel was a consulting engineer to the separate page '''[[Eastern Bengal Railway - Lines owned and worked]](EBR) and Leslie was sent to India as engineer in charge of bridges and viaducts. He supervised the building of ''' broken down into the Eschamutter and Koormar river bridges before returning to Britain in 1861 to design bridges for railway lines in South Walesthree Rail Gauge Divisions. He soon returned to India as Chief Engineer <br>The initial construction of the EBR until 1876.* [[Franklin Prestage]] was Agent for the EBR Bridges is covered in the early 1870a separate page '''s. In its original contract of EBR with the Secretary of State for India, this [[Guaranteed Railways|Guaranteed East Bengal Railway]] company was to open up a rail-line to [[Darjeeling]]. However the [[Government of India]] took a decision to stop expansion of rail-lines by Guaranteed companies in new areas and instead decided to construct and manage rail-lines as [[:Category:State RailwaysBridges|State Railways]]. [[Northern Eastern Bengal State RailwayBridges]] (NBR) was formed ''' as a State Railway for construction part of rail-lines from the northern bank development of Ganges river at Sara and built a metre gauge line to Siliguri. NBR had no plans to take the rail-line to Darjeeling as the mountain railway was considered a formidable sphere. Where EBR and NBR failed as corporate organisations, Prestage succeeded as an individual entrepreneur, he resigned from EBR and set up the [[Darjeeling Steam Tramway]] Co. .system

== Notes External Links== <sup>1<*[http:/sup> /en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Railway Banglapedia "Money Market and City IntelligenceNational Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh", ''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, 7aRailway]*[http://inforail.blogspot.com/2012/10/brief-history-of-bangladesh-railway.html "Brief History of Bangladesh Railway" Bangladesh Railway Information]