Madras Railway
| Madras Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
 Madras Central Railway Station | ||
| Line of route | ||
| Madras to Bangalore Madras to Raichur Madras to Waltair (Vizagapatam) Jalarpet to Mangalore | ||
| Gauge / mileage | ||
| Broad gauge | 904 miles (1905) | |
| Broad gauge | 497 miles (1905) - North East line | |
| Timeline | ||
| 1845 | Company formed | |
| 1856 | First section of line open to traffic | |
| 1889 | Branch line Calicut-Azikhal Railway opened | |
| 1907 | Line acquired by State | |
| 1908 | Jalarpet to Mangalore transferred to South Indian Railway | |
| Key locations | ||
| Presidency | Madras | |
| Stations | Bezwada, Calicut, Coimbatore, Erode, Guntakal, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Renigunta | |
| System agency | ||
| Own agnecy | ||
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
| Madras Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
| [[Image:|150px| ]] | ||
| System timeline | ||
| 1907 | Merged with Southern Mahratta Railway to form Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway | |
| Constituent companies / lines | ||
| Madras Railway | ||
| Kolar Gold Fields Railway | ||
| 1903 | Nilgiri Mountain Railway | |
| Shoranur-Cochin Railway | ||
| Key locations | ||
| Headquarters | Madras | |
| Workshops | Perambore | |
| Major Stations | Bezwada, Bangalore, Calicut, Cochin, Coimbatore, Erode, Guntakal, Mangalore, Nellore, Ootacamund, Rajahmundry, Renigunta | |
| Successor system / organisation | ||
| 1951 | Southern Railway {IR zone) | |
| System mileage | ||
| Broad gauge | 1411 miles (1905) | |
| Metre gauge | 82 miles (1905) | |
| Associated auxiliary force | ||
| Madras Railway Volunteers | ||
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
The Madras Railway(MR) was formed in 1845 although its first section of line, from Madras to Arcot, was not opened to traffic until 1 July 1856. In 1859, its object was given as "the construction and working of a railway from Madras to the western coast at Beypore, with branches to Bangalore and the Neilgherries; also of a line from Madras, via Bellary, to join the line from Bombay - total, about 820 miles." 1
History
Headquartered in Madras, whence its lines radiated, the Madras Railway was built to Broad Gauge(BG).
In 1901 the southern part of East Coast State Railway(ECSR), renamed Madras (North-East) Railway was transferred to MR.
It was the last guaranteed railway to fall to Government of India (GoI) ownership (31 December 1907).
In 1908, the northern portion (ie the north east, north west and Bangalore branches) was merged with the Southern Mahratta Railway(SMR) to form the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway(M&SMR). The southern section of line (Jalarpet to Mangalore) became part of the South Indian Railway(SIR).
The GoI took over the management of the M&SMR on 1 April 1944.
On 14 April 1951, M&SMR together with SIR and MSR became Southern Railway, a zone of Indian Railways.
Railways absorbed into MR
- Azikhal-Mangalore Railway opened 1903. Extension to MR which merged into M&SMR in 1907
- Calicut-Azikhal Railway opened 1888. Extension to MR which merged into M&SMR in 1907
- Kolar Gold Fields Railway opened 1894. Branch railway joining Kolar Gold Fields to Bowringpet-Chikballapur Railway, worked by MR 1908 becoming M&SMR
- Morappur-Dharmapuri-Hosur Railway opened 1906. MR famine protection line to Dharmapuri; extended to Hosur 1913 and renamed Morappur-Hosur Railway
- Walajah Road-Ranipet Railway opened before 1899. MR branchline linking Ranipet to mainline; became M&SMR, 1908
Railways worked by MR at some time
- Tirupattur-Krishnagiri Railway opened 1905. MR famine protection line; worked by MR until 31 December 1907; the working passed to South Indian Railway(SIR)
Records
There are no Staff agreements held at the British Library in the India Office Records.
Notes
1 "Money Market and City Intelligence", The Times, Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, 7a.