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Kathiawar Peninsula Railway and Tramway Systems

Kathiawar is a peninsula, originally known as Saurastra, in the 18th Century the name was changed to Kathiawar. and today forms part of the Indian State of Gujarat. The peninsula covers an area of 23,345 sq. miles (60,720 sq. Km) and in 1901 had a population of 2,645,805 . Most of the area was under the jurisdiction of the Government of India, and also Portugal had the island colony of Diu on the peninsular which covered 20 sq. miles (51.8sq. Km) with a population of 14,614 .

Kathiawar in the late 1800’s was governed by 193 small Princely States, ruled by local potentates who acknowledged British control in return for local sovereignty. These States comprised the ‘Kathiawar Agency’. The rest of the peninsula, chiefly in the east along the Gulf of Cambay, were districts ruled directly by the British as part of British India's Bombay Presidency, which included part of the peninsula .

The ‘Kathiawar Agency’ was a political unit formed in 1822 with headquarters at Rajkot, the town where the British Political Agent used to reside. He reported to the Political Department office at Bombay . The area was divided the area into four regions these being Halar, Jhalavad, Sorath and Gohelvad .

In 1872, the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway(BB&CIR) railway extension from Virangam reached Wadhwan. This started a period of growth in metre gauge railways financed and operated by the Native States. The problem was that there were many small states which were crossed. Only the three larger States could afford to build such constructions which led to problems and many partners leading to appeals for compensation from the local Durbar Governments .

Kathiawar State Railway.There are records that the give this as the title used from 1879-83 to describe the railway from Wadhwan on the south side of the Bhogawo River (facing Surendranager ) to the docks at Bhavnagar, this was a metre gauge(MG) line that opened in December 1880. This became the start of the Bhavnagar State Railway.

There were 3 main operating companies that developed using the metre gauge(MG) :-

• Morvi Railway originally a 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) 2’ 6” Tramways, most converted to MG
• Bhavnagar State Railway,
• Gondal State Railway

Other minor companies were:-

• Porbandar State Railway
• Junagadh State Railway
• Dhrangadhra Railway
• Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway
• Jamnagar and Dwarka Railway

The network was worked under the administrative coalition of the Bhavnagar-Gondal-Junagad-Porbandar Railway(BGJPR). The coalition was dissolved in 1911, with the constituents going their independent ways. These railways were to come together again, with others in 1948 to form the Saurashtra Railway (after the original pre 18th Century name).

Map

The Kathiawar Map produced by the Government Photographic Department, Poona dated 1878 has been marked up with colour coding to aid identification and provide the time scale of the construction and other proposals of the Railways/Tramways in the Peninsula.

Timeline

The development of the Network followed a chequered history with many false starts.

• 1863-69: Gondal-Ghogha Port Railway Proposals shown in PINK on map.

A railway to connect Gondal to the sea at Ghoga, in the Bay of Cambay was considered important to develop the region.

• There is an unconfirmed record that states ‘During 1863, Maharaja Jaswantsinhji received a proposal to start a Narrow Gauge line like in parts of Gaekwad Railway in Baroda. Maharaja was not inclined, as by that time another company called Ghogha Kathiawad Light Railway Company had been formed... But nothing materialised.’ .
• In 1869 another railway from Gogha Port to Gondal was planned by private enterprise, but no surveys were made .

It seems probable these two accounts refer to the same proposal, which was not implemented.

• 1872: Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CIR) shown in RED on map.

This 39 mile(63km) broad gauge (BG) branch line from Virangam to Wadhwan opened on 23 May 1872 . This being the first railway in the peninsular.
It was subsequently converted to metre gauge(MG) in 1902.

• 1872: Veraval-Junagadh-Dhoraji Railway Proposal Final 1888-89 route shown in GREEN on map - see note.

'Another line was proposed from Veraval to Junagadh and Dhoraji and was surveyed by Mr A W Forde C E, but the cost was beyond the means of Junagadh Durbar. This proposal came to nothing' .
Note – it was only in 1888-89 that the Junagadh State Railway(JunSR) opened the line from the docks at Veraval via Junagadh to Jetalsar - see below; where it connected to the Bhavnagar State Railway to Dhoraji

• 1874: Bhavnagar to Wadhwan Railway Proposal Final 1879-80 route shown in BLUE on map - see note.

‘In 1874 a third line was thought of from from Bhavnagar to Wadhwan , but a difference of opinion as to the proper rote and the probable cost prevented action’.
Note – this line finally opened in 1880 - see below

• 1877: Bhavnagar-Gondal Railway Survey Final 1879-80 route shown in BLUE on map.

‘It was not until June 1877 that steps were taken to begin the Bhavnagar-Gondal line, a distance of 201 miles using funds supplied by Bhvnagar and Gondal States under British Management. The joint Administrators of Bhavnagar State for the line in their Territory and Gondal employed Mr Forde, C. E., to survey an extension to Dhoraji. The Government of Bombay commissioned Mr Hargrave C.E. of Baroda Railway, to survey from Bhavnagar to Wadhwan. Labouring under restrictions as to the route the proposals were broadly followed, except the Gondal section which was modified’.

• 1879-80 Bhavnagar State Railway shown in BLUE on map.

‘First sod turned on the 20th March 1879 by the Bhavnagar State engineer and two miles of embankments built. Mainline to Wadhwan opened for traffic on December 16th 1880 by the Governor of Bombay. In the 106 miles between Bhavnagar and Wadhwan had 16 stations they were Bhavnagar Wharf, Bhavnagar city, Gadichi, Vartej, Sihor, Songad, Sanosra, Dhola Junction, Ujalvav, Nigala, Botard, Ranpur, Chuda, Limbdi, Kharva, Wadhwan City and the Junction with the BB&CIR Railway’.

• 1881 Bhavnagar State Railway and Gondal State Railway shown in BLUE/YELLOW on map.

‘.. and a month later the branch from Dhola Junction to Dhoraji. At a cost of Rs8,600,000. Apportioned 2/3 Bhavnagar and 1/3 Gondal. The Branch line has 12 stations from Dhola Junction, Mandava, Dhasa, Lathi, Adtala, Chital, Mayapadar, Kunkavav, Khadkhad or (Sultanpur Road), Vavdi, Jetpur, Jetalsar and Dhoraji. At mile 122 from the port the total is 201.6 Miles. Much damage was done to the embankments from too small provision for water ways and several stations and buildings fell before they were used. By the first half of 1882 the Profits were about Rs300,000 (£30,000) .

• 1884-87 Morvi Railway shown in LIGHT GREEN on map.

The Morvi Durbar started construction of its 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) tramway from Wadhwan to Rajkot via Muli, Dolia and Vankaner. The line was 76 miles passing through various small states . The Wadhwan Durbar was concerned about this and refused it entry into Wadhwan without an acceptance that they owned the rights of passage over the Bhogava River and paying such duties as required. It was also not supposed to link with the BB&CIR Railway. . In 1887 the 2ft 6in/762mm NG line from Vankaner to Morvi , opened; 15.7 Miles(25km) of 2’6” gauge tramway .

• 1888-89 Junagadh State Railway shown in DARK GREEN on map.

The 16 mile(26km) MG line from Jetpur via Jetalsarto Junagad opened Sept 1888, operated by Bhavnagar State Railway built by Junagadh State . Gondal gave permission for the Jetpur section to be built subject to that if the Jetalsar Gondal Rajkot line was built it would be handed to Gondal at cost.. The 15 mile(24km) extension from Junagad to Veraval Docks opened in Feb 1889 .

• 1889-90 Porbandar State Railway shown in DARK RED/BLUE on map.

The Government of India “persuaded” Gondal to assist with the building of a line to Porbandar which opened 1889 and extended to reach on to the harbour of Porbandar in 1890 . Gondal really wanted to spend the money on the Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway .

• 1890-91 Morvi Railway shown in LIGHT GREEN on map.

The ‘Vankaner to Malia Section’ of the Morvi Railway opened in 1890 and was laid as a 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) road-side tramway by the Morvi Durbar for the convenience of the people and for transportation of Salt and cloth. and the port of Navlakhi . This line appears to have been abandoned before 1918.
In 1891 the Morvi Railway was extended to interchange with the BB&CIR MG line at Whadwan; this was against all agreements. This led to notices being given to the Managers of the BB&CIR and the Morvi Railway. Terms were finally agreed in 1897. Wadhwan became a partner paying Rs2 lacs for the upgrade of the line between Wadhwan and Dolia .

• 1893-96 Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway shown in PURPLE on map.

The 46 mile(74km) MG line from Jetalsar Junction to Rajkot was built by a consortium comprising:- Gondal 6/16; Junagadh 6/16; Jetalsar 2/16; and Rajkot 2/16 . The line was opened Apr 1896 by Lord Harris Governor of Bombay. It was built by a consortium of Gondal, 6/16, Junagadh 6/16 Jetalsar 2/16 and Rajkot 2/16; this agreement had been signed on the 14th November 1891.