Jessore-Jhenidah Railway
The Jessore-Jhenidah Railway was a 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) line that opened in 1913 linking Jessore to Jhenidah, a line length of 29 miles (46km). The Kotchandpur Branch from Kaliganj (now known as Shibnagore) to Kotchandpur opened at the same time and gave a total line length of 36 miles (57km) [1]. The railway was owned and worked by the ‘Jessore Jhenidah Railway Company’, a private company supported by the District Board of Jessore, which was founded in 1913 [2]
The railway developed a reputation for being poorly managed; an official report in 1915 states that staff could not nominate one person as their manager [3].
The ‘Jessore Jhenidah Railway Company’ went into liquidation, and all interests and rights and privileges including all assets were transferred to the ‘Jhenidah Railway Syndicate Ltd’ on 24 September 1924. The Secretary of State for India confirmed that the new company was granted all such rights and concessions and have free use of the public road between Jessore and Jhenidah and Kalinganji and Kotchandupr, not exceeding a width of eight feet on either side for the purpose of laying and working and using said railway [4].
It is possible, but not proven, that the management of the ‘Jessore-Jhenidah Railway’ was later being undertaken by McLeod's Light Railways (McLR). [5]. It has not been possible to confirm this information.
The ‘Jessore-Jhenidah Railway ‘was dismantled in 1969[3]
References
- ↑ "Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 230; Retrieved 28 Feb 2016
- ↑ British Library India Office Records L/F/8/17/1334 “Jessore Jhenidah Railway Company Limited, Indenture; 1913”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wikipedia "Jessore-Jhenidah Light Railway"; Retrieved 28 Feb 2016
- ↑ British Library India Office Records L/F/8/20/1761 “Jhenidah Railway Syndicate Limited, Contract for the management, maintenance and working of the Jessore-Jhenidah Railway; 1930”
- ↑ “Indian Railways History 1913” IRFCA Indian Railways Fan Club"; Retrieved 28 Feb 2016