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The Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway was the original name of the ox-driven line between Dabhoi and Miyagam Karjan, a distance of 20 miles(33km) and opened in 1862. The line was laid during the reign of Sir Khanderao Gaekwar of Baroda, the Maharaja of Vadodara. Owned by the Princely Baroda State, it was the first railway built and operated by a Native Prince.

The line was a 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) with rails weighing 13 lbs to a yard. The line was designed and constructed by A.W.Forde. A pair of oxen used to haul trains composed of 4-6 vehicles. In 1863, Khanderao purchased 3 steam locomotives built by Neilson and Co., Glasgow. These 0-4-0 ST locomotives proved to be too heavy for the rails. During the reign of Malharrao in 1871, the old rails were removed and new rail 30 lbs to a yard were laid. The 20mile(32km) ‘Dabhoi-Miyagam’ line was reopened for traffic on 8 April 1878

An Agreement was made, effective from 1 Jan 1897, with the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway(BB&CIR) for the management, maintenance and working of the ‘Dabhoi Railway’ on behalf of the ‘Government of His Highness the Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda’ . It is not known if BB&CIR were responsible prior to this date. Certainly from this date onwards the BB&CIR were totally responsible for the operation.

Gaekwars Dabhoi Railway Maps

Dabhoi by 1909 had become an important narrow gauge(NG) railway junction as the Gaewar’s Dabhoi Railway was expanded; it became the centre where the lines from Miyagam, Chandod , Bodeli and Baroda converge . Note that Baroda is now named Vadodora

A Contract dated 8 April 1907, effective from 1 Jan 1906, between the Secretary of State and the BB&CIR formalised the arrangements for ‘the management, maintenance and working’ of the Dabhoi railway .

Further expansion of the network initiated an Agreement, dated 9 May 1916 between the ‘Government of His Highness the Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda’ and the BB&CIR for the ‘management, maintenance and working, by the Company, of the Miyagam-Malsar, Dabhoi-Jarod, Jarod- Samlaya, Samlaya-Timba, Masor Road-Jambusar and the Motipura-Tankhala extensions from the dates they are or shall have been opened for public traffic’ .

With the completion of the ‘Dabhoi-Jarod Line’ in 1919 a total of 187 miles(299km) of Gaekwars Dabhoi Railway was open .

The railway was re-titled the Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway (GBSR) in about 1920, this would be a result of the continued expansion or the network into Baroda State

Two lines had been sanctioned in 1914 for construction by the Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway, these were completed by the GBSR . The ‘Choranda-Koral Line, 12 miles(19km), finally opened in 1921 Nov 10; and the ‘Motipura -Taukhala Line’, 26 miles(42km), did not open until 1923 March 15.

Further Information

For further development after 1920 see Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway.

Opening of lines in chronological order

Information retrieved from “Administration Report on Railways 1918”

• ’Dabhoi –Miyagam Line’, 20 miles(32km); 1862, the original Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway, driven by oxen; 1873 Apr 4, line re-laid in stronger rails;1878 Jan 8, date of reopening, locomotives introduced from about 1878
• ’Dabhoi-Chandod Line’ 11 miles(17km); Dabhoi to Chandod, 11 miles(17km), 1879 Apr 15
• ’Dabhoi-Bodeli Line’ 22 miles(35km); Dabhoi to Sankheda Bahadarpur, 10 miles(15km), 1879 Sep 17; Sankheda Bahadarpur to Bodeli, 12 miles(20km), 1890 Jun 16
• ’Dabhoi-Baroda Line’ 19miles(34km); Dabhoi to Goya Gate, 17 miles(31km), 1880 Jul 1, Goya Gate to Baroda (Vishvamitri Station),; 2 miles(3km), 1881 Jan 24;
• ’Baroda-Masor Road Line’ 20miles(32km); Baroda (Vishvamitri Station) to Padra, 7 miles(11km), 1897 Jul 1; Padra to Mobha, 6 miles(10km), 1903 Jul 10; Mobha to Masor Road, 7 miles(11km), 1904 Nov 11
• ’Miyaram-Malsar Extension’ to the ‘Dabhoi-Miyyaram Line’ giving total 44 miles(56km); Miyaram to Malsar, 24 miles(44km), 1912 Jan 15
• ’Dabhoi-Jarod-Timba Line’ 62 miles(100km); Daboi to Jarod, 24 miles(38km), 1913 Nov 15; Jarod to Samlaya, 5 miles(9km), 1915 Dec 13; Samlaya via Savli to Timba, 33 miles(53km) 1919 Feb 1
• ’Dabhoi-Jambusar Line’ an extension of the ‘Dabhoi-Masor Road Line’ giving total 59 miles(94km); Masor Road to Jambusar, 7 miles(11km), 1917 May 1