Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway

Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway
Churchgate Terminus & Offices, BBCIR, Bombay
Line of route
Bombay to Viramgam
Gauge / mileage
Broad gauge	504 miles (1905)
Timeline
1855	Formed as Guaranteed company
1905	Line acquired by State
Key locations
Presidency	Bombay
Stations	Ahmedabad, Baroda, Broach, Surat
System agency
1906	Worked by reformed BBCIR
How to interpret this infobox

Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway
Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway device
System timeline
1906	BBCIR contracted to work State line
1942	Working of system taken over by State
Constituent companies / lines
	Ahmedabad-Dholka Railway
	Ahmedabad-Parantij Railway
	Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway
	Gaekwar's Mehsana Railway
	Godhra-Rutlam-Nagda Railway
	Nagda-Ujjain Railway
	Palanpur-Deesa Railway
	Petlad-Cambay Railway
	Rajpipla Railway
	Rajputana-Malwa Railway
	Tapti Valley Railway
	Vijapur-Kalol-Kadi Railway
Key locations
Headquarters	Bombay (BG), Ajmer (MG)
Workshops	Parel (BG) see also Parel Railway Workshops Ajmer (MG)
Major Stations	Agra, Ajmer, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Cawnpore, Delhi, Indore, Jaipur, Rutlam, Surat
Successor system / organisation
1951	Western Railway (IR zone)
System mileage
Broad gauge	868 miles (1905) 1233 miles (1943)
Metre gauge	2022 miles (1905) 1985 miles (1943)
2'6" NG	132 miles (1905) 152 miles (1943)
Associated auxiliary force
Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Regiment
How to interpret this infobox

Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Map 1909 – north/east section

Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Map 1909 – south/west section

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 2,300,000l. Rate of Interest Guaranteed - 5 per cent on 2,000,000l. capital and 4½ per cent . on 300,000l. debentures."

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 .

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 .

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 . Although on flat country, this. line had to traverse some of the mightiest rivers and water channels in the country including the Nerbudda Bridge near Broach and the 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 suburban service commenced in 1870 with one train in each direction each day. In 1871 the Bombay-Ahmadabad Main Line was extended north to Viramgam to 350 miles (563km).

The “1870-71 Annual Report for Indian Railways for the BB&CIR“ gives:- ‘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 ‘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 (GoI) and a new company formed to manage the BB&CIR under a contract agreed in 1907 and revised in 1913 .

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 - see separate page
• ‘Northern Railway Zone’ comprised the ‘Delhi-Rewari-Fazilka Section’ , which were added to other railways - see separate page
• ‘North Eastern Railway Zone’ comprised the ‘Kanpur/Cawnpore-Achnera Section’ , which were added to other railways - see separate page

BB&CIR Collieries and Coal Supplies

See separate pages

• ‘Jarangdih Colliery was a 'Joint BB&CIR and Madras & Southern Mahratta Railways Colliery'
• ‘Kurasia Colliery near Chirimiri was a 'BB&CIR Colliery’

BB&CIR Main line, Branches and Extensions

The BB&CIR owned and operated an extensive network of railways of mixed gauge

• Broad gauge(BG) - 868 miles/1397km (1905); 997 miles/1604km (1918); 1233 miles/1984km (1943)
• Metre gauge(MG) - 2022 miles/3254km (1905); 1822 miles/2931km (1918); 1985/3195km miles (1943)
• Narrow gauge 2ft 6in(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 .

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(BG) - 1918 Total 202 miles(325km) .
• Metre gauge(MG) - 1918 Total 456 miles(733km) .
• Narrow gauge 2ft 6in(NG) - 1918 Total 326 miles(523km) .

See separate page Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway Network - Lines owned and worked for details.

Records

Refer to FIBIS Fact File #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 1845-1947” - available from the 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 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.

Stations

Bombay

• Grant Road
• Marine Lines
• Church Gate
• Kolaba

Historical books online

• 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
• Bombay Baroda Central India Railway Company: Traffic Statistics 1920. Archive.org, mirror from Digital Library of India.

Bombay Baroda Central India Railway Company: Traffic Statistics 1921. Archive.org, mirror from Digital Library of India.