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{{Line Railways Infobox
|image=
|caption=
|route= [[Calcutta]] to [[Faridpur]] (BG) with branches to<br>[[Budge Budge]], [[Diamond Harbour]], [[Lalgola]]
|gauge1= Broad gauge
|gauge1details= 495 miles (1905)
|gauge2= Metre gauge
|gauge2details= 637 miles (1905)
|gauge3= 2' 6" NG
|gauge3details= 55 miles (1905)
|gauge4=
|gauge4details=
|timeline1date= 1857
|timeline1details= Formed as [[Guaranteed Railways|Guaranteed company]]
|timeline2date=
|timeline2details= [[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]] merger
|timeline3date= 1884
|timeline3details= Taken over by State
|timeline4date=
|timeline4details= 
|timeline5date=
|timeline5details= 
|presidency= [[Bengal]]
|stations= [[Sealdah]], [[Dum Dum]], [[Naihati]], [[Kaliganga]], [[Rajbari]], [[Goalundo]], [[Ranaghat]], [[Krishnagar]], [[Plassey]], [[Murshidabad]]
|system1date= 1884
|system1details= State agency
|system2date=
|system2details=
|system3date=
|system3details= 
}}


{{System_Railways_Infobox
|image= Eastern Bengal Railway logo.jpg
|caption= ''Eastern Bengal Railway device''
|timeline1date= 1884
|timeline1details= Renamed '''Eastern Bengal State Railway'''
|timeline2date=
|timeline2details=
|timeline3date= 1915
|timeline3details= Reverted to [[Eastern Bengal Railway]]
|timeline4date=
|timeline4details= 
|timeline5date=
|timeline5details= 
|company1= 1884
|company1details= [[Eastern Bengal Railway]]
|company2=
|company2details= [[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]]
|company3= 1887
|company3details= [[Dacca State Railway]]
|company4= 1887
|company4details= [[Northern Bengal State Railway]]
|company5= 1887
|company5details= [[Kaunia-Kurigram Railway]]
|company6=
|company6details= [[Cooch Behar Railway]]
|company7=
|company7details= [[Mymensingh-Jamalpur-Jagannath Railway]]
|company8=
|company8details=
|company9= 1904
|company9details= [[Bengal Central Railway]]
|company10=
|company10details= [[Brahmaputra-Sultanpur Railway]]
|company11=
|company11details=
|company12= 1941
|company12details= [[Bengal Dooars Railway]]
|headquarters= [[Calcutta]]
|workshop= [[Kanchrapara]]
|stations= [[Bangaon]], [[Jessore]],
|system1date= 1942
|system1details= Merged into [[Bengal and Assam Railway]]
|system2date=
|system2details= 
|system3date=
|system3details= 
|gauge1= Broad gauge
|gauge1details= 495 miles (1905)
|gauge2= Metre gauge
|gauge2details= 688 miles (1905)
|gauge3= 2' 6" NG
|gauge3details= 89 miles (1905)
|gauge4=
|gauge4details=
|auxillary forces= [[Eastern Bengal Railway Battalion]]
}}
The '''Eastern Bengal Railway''' Company (EBR) was formed in 1857 for "the construction and working of a line from [[Calcutta]] to [[Dacca]], with a branch to [[Jessore]]. Capital 1,000,000''l''. This amount has been sanctioned for the line from Calcutta to the Ganges at Kooshtee([[Kushtia]]), 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> "Money Market and City Intelligence", ''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, 7a. </ref>.
== History ==
The first construction started in October 1859. Isambard Kingdom Brunel  had been  engaged in Britain as consulting engineer to the EBR and [[Bradford Leslie]],  an English civil engineer who specialised in bridges,  was sent to India as engineer in charge of bridges and viaducts. He supervised the building of the Eschamutter and Koormar 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  2 Jun 2016</ref>.
The first train ran between [[Sealdah]] and [[Ranaghat]] in September 1862. Thereafter further phases considerably extended the reach of the line and, by 1866, it linked [[Calcutta]] to [[Kushtia]]. The company had also acquired a steam vessel service operating between [[Kushtia]] and [[Dacca]].
<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 127-8, paragraphs 3.51 - 3.55] Retrieved on 2 Jun 2016</ref>
[[Franklin Prestage]] became the  Agent for the EBR in the early 1870's. In its original contract with the Secretary of State for India, the EBR Company  was to open 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 new rail-lines as [[:Category:State Railways|State Railways]]. Prestage resigned from EBR  and in 1879 set up the [[Darjeeling 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>.
The EBR became the '''Eastern Bengal State Railway'''(EBSR), owned and managed by the Government of India([[Government of India |GoI]]), on 30 June 1884.
The GoI merged the [[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]] into the EBSR, and several others in 1887. In 1904, the EBSR took over the [[Bengal Central Railway]] which it had previously been working, and the [[Brahmaputra-Sultanpur Railway]]. In 1915, the system reverted to the style, '''Eastern Bengal Railway'''.
<ref>[https://ia801009.us.archive.org/8/items/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System.pdf  " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government  Printing,  Calcutta;  pages 42(BG); 47(MG); 52(NG)]; 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://inforail.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 1920s, the EBR continued to grow by merger and amalgamation, and also began to convert sections of metre and narrow gauge to eliminate rail bottlenecks. On 1 January 1941, the GoI acquired the [[Bengal Dooars Railway]] and merged it into the EBR.
In 1942, the GoI merged the EBR with the [[Assam Bengal Railway]] to create the [[Bengal and Assam Railway]].
==Branch Lines and extensions==
*[[Budge-Budge Branch Railway]] opened 1890. Branch line of 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 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(Geetaldaha) Railway]] opened c.1900. Link between [[Bengal Dooars Railway]] and [[Cooch Behar State Railway]].
*[[Manihari Branch Railway]] opened 1887. Branch from Katihar Section of EBR
*[[Murshidabad Branch Railway]] opened 1909. Branch line of EBR
*[[Patipukur Loop Railway]] opened  1904. 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; merged into EBR , 1905
*[[Bengal Dooars Railway]](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 EBR, 1884
*[[Cooch Behar State Railway]] opened 1893. State railway, worked and finally bought by EBR  c.1899
*[[Dacca State Railway]] opened 1885. Formerly [[Narayanganj-Dacca-Mymensingh State Railway]] ; merged into EBR , 1887; becoming Dacca Section of EBR
*[[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_gauge#Metre_Gauge|NG]] Tram, converted to [[Rail_gauge#Metre_Gauge|NG]], 1901; part to EBR Gauhati Branch ; part to BDR Kurigram Branch
*[[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 the EBR North Bengal Section
*[[Poradah Branch Railway]] opened c.1880. 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 [[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 the [[Amingaon-Pandu Train Ferry]]. Rail transhipment by ferry crossing the Brahmaputra River linking EBR system to [[Assam Bengal Railway]](ABR)'s network. Worked by ABR; transferred to ABR, 1922
*[[Sara Train Ferry]] opened c.1899. Ferry link from EBR main line across Ganges to Sara taking Goods wagons. Operated until 1915 on opening of Hardinge Bridge
==Records==
Refer to FIBIS Fact File  #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 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 the [[India Office Records]] (IOR) held at the [[British Library]]
An on-line search of the IOR records relating to this railway
<ref>[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 Bengal Railway Company; 1856-1885
*'''L /AG/46/30 '''  “Records of the India Office relating to the Eastern Bengal Railway Company; 1885-1920”
==Personnel==
The following employment records held in the IOR are relevant :-
*'''L/AG/46/10/35''' “Contracts of appointment (1862-1869)”
*'''FIBIS database''' [http://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_components&id=1068&s_id=323  List of Indian Railways UK Contracted Staff taken from IOR Series L/AG/46/12].
The above is partially indexed in
*'''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'''  “Lists of staff, 1879-1881”
'''[[Eastern Bengal Railway Personnel]]'''  gives details of EBR staff from several other sources:-
*“India  Civil List 1890”  <ref>Fibis Records, scans of original ” </ref>  and  the " India List and India Office List, 1905" <ref>[https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=b2NPAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en_GB&pg=GBS.PR14 " India List and India Office List, 1905"] Retrieved on 2 Jun 2016</ref>  for [[Public Works Department]] Railway Branch  or  [[:Category:State Railways|State Railways]] personnel deployed to EBR gives a number of entries.  The most notable of these have been listed.
*"Grace's Guide ” for notable personnel  <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Main_Page  “Grace’s Guide”];  Retrieved  2 Jun 2016</ref>
*Wikipedia
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Railways]]
[[Category:Guaranteed Railways]]
[[Category:State Railways]]
[[Category:Narrow Gauge (NG) Railways]]

Revision as of 06:48, 3 June 2016

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