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), 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

The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (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

Formed in 1855 and began work on track from Baroda to Surat. By 1865, the Bombay-Surat-Baroda-Ahmedabad route was complete; in 1867, the Virar-Bombay Backbay suburban service commenced with one train in each direction each day. In 1871, trackage was 300.

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 (less the Delhi-Rewari-Fazilka and Kanpur-Achnera sections) merged with the Saurashtra, Jaipur State, Jodhpur (Marwar-Phulad section), Rajasthan and Cutch State railways to become the Western Railway, a zone of Indian Railways.

Branch Lines and extensions

• Ahmedabad-Dholka Railway; opened 1902. A metre gauge branch of BB&CIR
• Ahmedabad-Parantij Railway; opened 1897. A metre gauge branch of BB&CIR. Extended 1922 and named Dholka-Dhandhuka Railway.
• Mathura-Hathras Provincial Railway; opened 1875. Section of BB&CIR network

Railways absorbed into BB&CIR

• Gujarat Railway Company - formed 1911. Owned and managed 3 lines Champaner-Shivrajpur- Pani Light Railway; Godhra-Lunavada Railway; Nadiad-Kapadvanj Railway; all worked by BB&CIR and taken over 1922
• Jaipur State Railway. Two State Railway branch lines (Jaipur-Sawai Madhopu, 1907 and Jaipur-Shaikhawati, 1916); worked by BB&CIR and merged 1900 into BB&CIR
• Rajputana-Malwa Railway; formed from Rajputana State, Holkar, Scindia-Nimach and Neemuch Nasirabad Railways; worked then merged into BB&CIR(qv), 1900

Lines worked by BB&CIR at some time

• Baria State Railway; opened 1892. Independent Princely State railway; later renamed Baria-Piplod State Railway, worked by BB&CIR
• Bilimora-Kalamba State Railway; opened 1914-15. State line worked by BB&CIR
• Bodeli-Chhota Udaipur Railway; opened 1917-18. State lineworked by BB&CIR
• Broach-Jambusar Railway; opened 1914-15
• Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway (GBSR); Narrow Gauge network expanded from 1863 to 1929; initially worked by BB&CIR until 1924 own agency.
• Gaekwar's Mehsana Railway; opened 1891; initially worked by BB○ from 1921 by GBSR
• Gaekwar's Petlad Railway; opened 1890. Initially worked by BB○ later by GBSR
• Kosamba-Zankhvav Railway; opened 1912. Constructed and worked by GBSR and later BB&CIR
• Mehsana-Vadnager Railway; opened 1907. Worked by BB&CIR
• Nagda-Mathura(Muttra) Railway; opened 1909. State line, worked by BB&CIR
• Nagda-Ujjain Railway; opened 1896. State line, worked by BB&CIR
• Palanpur-Deesa Railway; opened 1878>. Construction commenced 1878; worked by BB&CIR
• Patri Railway; opened 1873. Worked by BB&CIR
• Petlad-Cambay Railway; In service 1901, worked by BB&CIR
• Petlad-Vaso Railway; opened 1914-15. State line, worked by BB&CIR
• Piplod-Devgad-Baria Railway; opened c.1892. Independant Princely State Rly; later extended as Baria State Railway(qv), worked by BB&CIR
• Rajpipla State Railway; Princely State Railways (Anklesvar -Rajpipla Railway, 1897; Jhagadia-Netrand Railway> 1915) worked by BB&CIR
• Ratlam-Nagda Railway; opened 1896. Extension to Tapti Valley Railway; worked by BB&CIR
• Rewari-Ferozepore Railway ; Under construction 1882, worked by BB&CIR
• Tarapur-Cambay State Railway; opened <1908. Branch line worked by BB&CIR
• Tapti Valley Railway; Company formed 1896; opened 1898; worked by BB&CIR from 1899. Extended 1901, and named Surat-Amalner Railway.
• Vijapur-Kalol-Kadi Railway; opened 1902; owned by Baroda State; worked by BB&CIR

Records

Unfortunately, there are no BB&CIR staff records held in the India Office Records at the British Library.

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 1920 Pdf download, Digital Library of India

Bombay Baroda Central India Railway Company 1921 Pdf download, Digital Library of India