Brahmaputra-Sultanpur Railway

The Brahmaputra-Sultanpur Railway was owned by a branch company but worked by the Eastern Bengal Railway(EBR). The line was metre gauge(MG).

On 1st April 1904, the State took over the enterprise, merging it into EBR.

It comprised two sections opened in 1899/1900

• Santahar to Bonarpara, 51 miles(81km)
• Phulchari Branch Railway from Bonarpara to Phulchari, 8 miles(14km)

These lines became the first part of the EBR's Santahar-Kaunia Loop Railway when the system was extended to Kaunia in 1905

Records

Refer to FIBIS Fact File #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 1845-1947” - available from the Fibis shop. This Fact File contains invaluable advice on 'Researching ancestors in the UK records of Indian Railways' with particular reference to the India Office Records (IOR) held at the British Library

An on-line search of the IOR records relating to this railway gives the following: -

• L/F/8/15/1029 “A Syndicate of Promoters, Contract for the formation of the Brahmaputra Sultanpur Branch Railway Company Limited; 1896”

This railway was absorbed into EBR in 1904 and the following IOR records relating to Staff employment are held :-

• L/F/8/1-20 "Appointments to State Railways made in the UK; 1855-1946"
• Z/L/F/8/1-2 "Index to Appointments to State Railways made in the UK; 1855-1946"