Southern Mahratta Railway
| Southern Mahratta Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
| [[Image:|150px| ]] | ||
| Line of route | ||
| Hotgi to Guntakal Guntakal to Bezwada Gadag to Poona Bellary to Rayadrug (branch) | ||
| Gauge / mileage | ||
| Metre gauge | 1042 miles (1905) | |
| Timeline | ||
| 1884 | First sections opened to traffic | |
| Key locations | ||
| Presidency | Madras, Bombay | |
| Stations | Bagalkot, Belgaum, Bellary, Bezwada, Bijapur, Cumbum, Gadag, Guntakal, Guntur, Harihar, Hospet, Hotgi, Londa, Miraj, Nandyal, Poona, Rayadrug, Tadepalli | |
| System agency | ||
| 1882 | Worked by Southern Mahratta Railway | |
| 1907 | Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway | |
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
| Southern Mahratta Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
| [[Image:|150px| ]] | ||
| System timeline | ||
| 1882 | Contracted to work Mysore State Railway | |
| 1907 | Merged with Madras Railway | |
| Constituent companies / lines | ||
| 1882 | Southern Mahratta Railway | |
| 1899-1919 | Birur-Shimoga Railway | |
| Guntakal-Mysore Frontier Railway | ||
| 1887-1938 | Hindupur-Yesvantpur Railway | |
| Hospet-Kottur Railway | ||
| Kolhapur State Railway | ||
| 1891-1919 | Mysore-Nanjangud Railway | |
| 1887-1938 | Mysore State Railway | |
| 1902 | West of India Portuguese Railway | |
| Key locations | ||
| Headquarters | Dharwar | |
| Workshops | Hubli | |
| Major Stations | Bangalore, Bellary, Gadag, Guntakal, Hotgi, Kolhapur, Marmagao, Mysore, Poona | |
| Successor system / organisation | ||
| 1907 | Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway | |
| System mileage | ||
| Metre gauge | 1687 miles (1905) | |
| Associated auxiliary force | ||
| Southern Mahratta Railway Rifle Corps | ||
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
The Southern Mahratta Railway(SMR) was also variously called the Southern Maratha Railway and the Southern Maharastra Railway.
History
The SMR was founded in 1882 to construct a metre gauge railway between Hotgi and Gadag (opened to traffic in 1884), one of the "famine lines" set up with a guarantee. In the same year (1882), it was contracted by the Indian State of Mysore to work the several metre gauge lines that the Mysore State had built or was in the course of construction.
In 1888, a line was extended from Londa towards the Portuguese colony of Goa where it connected with the Marmagao line at Castle Rock. (From 1902 this line was leased as the West of India Portuguese Railway.) By 1890, this line extended from Londa eastwards via Guntakal to Bezwada, and northwards to Poona, turning the SMR from an assortment of branches to a real railway network.
In 1908, the SMR merged with the Madras Railway(MR) to form the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway(M&SMR)
Railways absorbed into/worked by SMR
- Birur-Shimoga Railwaya metre gauge(MG) branch line in the Indian State of Mysore, it was worked by SMR.
- Bellary-Kistna State Railway constructed before 1890; surveyed for Hindpur extension 1892-94; worked by SMR; became M&SMR, 1908
- Guntakal-Mysore Frontier Railway opened c.1893. Worked by SMR, 1893; became M&SMR, 1908
- Hindupur-Yesvantpur Railway opened 1893. Also known as Hindupur (Yesvantpur)-Mysore Frontier Railway, worked by SMR became M&SMR, 1908
- Hospet-Kottur Railway opened c.1905. Originally worked by SMR becoming M&SMR, 1908
- Kolhapur State Railway opened after 1888. Worked by SMR, 1891; became part of M&SMR, 1908
- West of India Portuguese Railway opened 1886-87. Worked by SMR, 1902; became M&SMR, 1908
- Sangli State Railway opened in 1907 as a short 5 mile(8km) link from SMR Miraj Junction to Sangli, Worked by SMR, 1907; became M&SMR, 1908.
Records
Unfortunately, there are no SMR Staff agreements held at the British Library in the India Office Records.
External links
Frederick Dibblee, MICE, briefly Superintending Engineer, SMR (1882).