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The Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway(GBSR) was formed in 1921 from the original Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway(GDR) that had started 1862 and progressively expanded as a narrow gauge(NG) network. The Gaekwars of the Princely Baroda State were responsible for building several narrow and metre gauge lines in and around Baroda State and the eastern Gujerat.

The ‘Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway’(BB&CIR) had been working the’ Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway’ on behalf of the Baroda Durbar together with the ‘Gaekwar's Petlad Railway’, the ‘Gaekwar's Mehsana Railway’, the Petlad-Vaso Railway and the ‘Bodeli-Chhota Udaipur Railway’.The working arrangements of all these lines were transferred to the newly formed GBSR in 1921.

Origins of GBSR

The 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) railway network, known as the Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway commenced with an oxen driven line between Dabhoi and Miyagam, a distance of 20 miles(33km), that first opened in 1862. The rails were inadequate for steam locomotives and the upgraded railway was reopened to traffic in 1873. The network expanded and by 1909 Dabhoi had become an NG railway junction, it had become the centre where the lines from Miyagam, Chandod , Bodeli and Baroda converged with a line length of 92 miles(147km). By 1918 the NG network had expanded to 154 miles(246km) . By 1921, when the network was renamed the GBSR, there was approximately 246 miles(393km) of track. The network on handover in 1921 is shown in "Red" on Route Map

See Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway for details and references

Development of GBSR

Additional lines were constructed up to 1929, creating a complex network using two railgauges:-

• 1000mm metre gauge (MG)
• 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG)

These are detailed separately:-

GBSR Narrow Gauge Expansion in chronological order

The GBSR took over the GDR network shown in “Red” on Route Map. A number of projects had been sanctioned for construction by the GDR and some were in progress, these were taken over and completed by GBSR. Some lines previously sanctioned were apparently never constructed.

Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway Routes

Narrow Gauge First Division – Headquarters Dabhoi

From 1921 GBSR continued to develop their NG system :-

• ‘Dabhoi–Miyagam Line’ (“Red Line A”); 20 miles(32km) NG - transferred from DBR to GBSR, 1921.
• ‘Dabhoi-Chandod Line’ (“Red Line B”); 11 miles(17km) NG - transferred from DBR to GBSR, 1921.
• ‘Dabhoi-Baroda Line’ (“Red Line B”); 19 miles(34km) NG - transferred from DBR to GBSR, 1921.
• ‘Baroda-Masor Road Line’ (“Red Line C”); 20 miles(32km) NG - transferred from DBR to GBSR, 1921.
• ‘Miyaram Karjan-Malsar Line’ (“Red Line D”); 24 miles(44km) NG- transferred from DBR to GBSR, 1921.
• ‘Dabhoi-Timba Line’ (“Red Line E”) 62 miles(100km) NG - transferred from DBR to GBSR, 1921.
• ‘Masor Road-Jambusar Junction Line’ (“Red Line F”) 7 miles(11km) NG - transferred from DBR to GBSR, 1921.
• ‘Bodeli-Chhota Udaipur Railway’ (“Green Line H”) 22.5 miles(36km) NG. This was a separate Company worked by BB&CIR and transferred to GBSR, 1921.
• ‘‘Jambusar-Broach Section’, (“Blue Line J”) about 26 miles(42km) NG; from Jambusar via Samni to Broach; was completed by GBSR on date unknown. It was part of the ‘Broach-Jambusar-Masor Road(Kangat) Branch’, proposed by GDR in 1903 and not completed until after the GBSR took over in 1921.
• ‘Nar-Petlad-Nadiad Line’, (“Blue Line K”),about 29 miles(46km) NG; from Nar Town to Petlad(see note ‡‡) and then via Sojitra, Dewa Deva, Vaso to Nadiad 29 miles. Part was first surveyed in 1905 as the ‘Nar-Nadiad Loop’ 20 miles(32km) and not completed until much later:-
  • ‘Petlad-Vaso Railway’, (“Purple Line S“) 16 miles(25km) NG, as a separate Railway Company. The line ran from Petlad‡‡ to Vaso and opened in 1914. This section was incorporated into the ‘Nar-Petlad-Nadiad Line’ given above, and was extended a further 3½ miles(6km) to Pihij in 1915. The line was operated by the BB&CIR and was absorbed into GBSR in 1921.
  • ‘Nar-Petlad Section’ was completed by GBSR on date unknown
  • ‘Vaso-Nadiad Section’ was completed by GBSR on date unknown
• ‘Choranda Junction-Moti Koral Line’, (“Blue Line L”) 12 miles(19km) NG, sanctioned in 1914 for the GDR . Finally completed and opened by GBSR in Nov 1921 .
• ‘Petlad-Bhadran Line’, (“Blue Line M”) 14 miles(22km) NG, opened by GBSR Jun 1922 .The line connected Bhadran to the Petlad Juction(see note ‡‡)
• ‘Motipura-Tankhala Line’, (“Blue Line N”) 26 miles(42km) NG, sanctioned in 1914 for the GDR . Finally completed and opened by GBSR in Mar 1923 . Motipura given in the 1918 Admin Report but not identified - thought it refers to the ‘Chhuchhapura Junction to Tankala Line’ of about 24 miles(38km).
• ‘Jambusar-Kavi Line’, (“Blue Line P”) 16 miles(26km) NG, from Jambusar to Kavi, opened by GBSR Aug 1929 .
• ‘Samni-Dahej Line’, (“Blue Line R”) 42 miles(67km) NG, from Samni to Dahej, a village on the coast on the Gulf of Cambey; opened by GBSR Mar 1930 .

Note ‡‡ Petlad was station between Anand and Cambay on the broad gauge(BG) Petlad-Cambay Railway worked by BB&CIR which linked to the 'BB&CIR BG Mainline'. At this station there were interchange with the narrow gauge ‘Petlad-Bhadran Line’ also the ‘Petlad-Vaso Railway'

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Narrow Gauge Second Division – Headquarters Navsari

GBSR set up a second ‘Narrow Gauge Division’ based in Navsari with two isolated lines initially operated by BB&CIR but from 1921 the working was transferred to GBSR .

• ‘Bilimora-Waghai Railway’, (“Green Line X”) 39 miles(62km) NG. From Bilimora (an interchange station on the ‘BB&CIR BG Mainline’) initially to Kalamba (now named Kalva Amba) ; extended to reach Waghai , 4 miles(7km) by Nov 1929 . Worked by BB&CIR until 1921 then by GBSR
• ‘Kosamba-Zankhvav-Umarpada Line’, (“Green Line Y”) 38 miles(61km) NG; developed as two sections:-.
  • ‘Kosamba-Zankhvav Railway’, 26 miles(42km) NG. Surveyed in 1900 , opened in 1912 from Kosamba to Zankhvav . Initially operated by BB&CIR but from 1921 GBSR took over the working.
  • ‘Zankhvav-Umarpada Section’, 12 miles(19km) NG from Zankhvav to Umarpada , opened by GBSR Jul 1929
  • ‘Zankhvav-Bardipadu Extension’, 22 ½ miles(36km) NG, sanction in 1914 There is no indication that line was constructed
• ‘Navsari-Kamrej Light Railway, 20 miles(32km) NG, sanctioned as a steam tramway in 1914 for the Baroda Durbar1912 . There is no indication that line was constructed

The 1936-37 “Report by the Railway Board on Indian Railways” gives the Route Mileage of the GBSR ‘Narrow Gauge Division’ as 333 Miles . In addition it separately lists under GBSR Narrow Gauge ‘Bodeli-Dhhota-Udaipur Railway’, 23 miles

GBSR Metre Gauge System in chronological order

The 1936-37 “Report by the Railway Board on Indian Railways” gives the Route Mileage of the GBSR ‘Metre Gauge Division’ as 255 Miles(210km). It also separately lists under GBSR Metre Gauge ‘Khijadiya-Dhari Railway’, 37 miles(60km)and ‘Prachi Road-Kodinar Railway’, 16 miles(26km) under construction (page 120 and 41)

The routes of the GBSR Metre Gauge system have not been identified

Later Developments

In 1949, the GBSR was merged into the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway(BB&CIR).

External Lnks

• "Preserving rich heritage of Gaekwar’s Baroda State Rlys“ by Vikas Singh, Editor of Indian Steam Railway Society Magazine", 2015
• “History of Vadora/Baroda - Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway”