Buthiadaung-Maungdaw Tramway Company

The Buthiadaung-Maungdaw Tramway Company was founded by The Arakan Flotilla Company in March 1913, to construct a 2ft 6in (762 mm) narrow gauge railway between these towns to improve communications in the remote area near Burma's border with what is now Bangladesh.

The consultant was Everard Richard Calthrop (1857-1927) and the specification was based on the Barsi Light Railway which had opened in 1897.

In October 1916 Martin's Light Railways Company of Calcutta registered the Arakan Light Railway Company in order to purchase and complete the line, with support from the Governments of India and Burma and the Arakan Flotilla Company.

The railway opened on 15th February 1919 but receipts were disappointing and covered only half the expenses, resulting in liquidation and sale to the Indian Government for dismantling.

The Government of India(GoI) acquired it from the liquidators and closed it in 1926.

References

http://janfordsworld.blogspot.fr/2015/08/the-arakan-light-railway.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everard_Calthrop http://www.oldmartiniansassociation.co.uk/documents/BURMARAILWAY.pdf