Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway

Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway
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Line of route
Benares to Saharanpur Allahabad to Fyzabad (1905)
Gauge / mileage
Broad	1165 miles (1905)
Timeline
1872	Benares to Lucknow open
1874	Lucknow to Moradabad open
1876	Moradabad to Saharanpur open
1887	Link with East Indian Railway at Moghal Sarai
1889	State purchases O&RR
Key locations
Presidency	Bengal
Stations	Aligarh, Bareilly, Cawnpore, Delhi, Lucknow, Moradabad, Shahjahanpur
System agency
1889	Oudh and Rohilkand State Railway
How to interpret this infobox

Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway
[[Image:|150px| ]]
System timeline
1889	State agency takes over running of O&RR
Constituent companies / lines
1889	Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway
	Cawnpore-Burhwal Railway
	Hardwar-Dehra Railway
Key locations
Headquarters	Lucknow
Workshops	Alambagh, Charbagh
Major Stations	Aligarh, Allahabad, Bareilly, Cawnpore, Delhi, Saharanpur, Shahjahanpur
Successor system / organisation
1925	East Indian Railway
System mileage
Broad gauge	1187 miles (1905)
Metre gauge	80 miles (1905)
Associated auxiliary force
Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Battalion
How to interpret this infobox

Oudh & Rohilkhand Railway Map 1909, north-west section

Oudh & Rohilkhand Railway Map 1909, south-east section

The Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway (O&RR) took over the interests of the Indian Branch Railway(IBR) and under a Government of India(GoI) guarantee.

Alternative Name: Early records give the spelling Oude and Rohilkund Railway

History

The O&RR established workshops at Alambagh (1865) and Charbagh (1867) to provide capacity for the major broad gauge(BG) line from Benares to Lucknow, to the north of the River Ganges, which it opened to traffic in 1872. In 1874, the line was extended to Moradabad and in 1876, to Saharanpur where the O&RR met the North Western Railway(NWR). On 31 December 1888, the GoI assumed both ownership and management of the O&RR.

O&RR were given operating rights of the opening in 1905 of the Allahabad-Fyzabad Railway which included the Curzon Bridge, Allahabad over the river Ganges. This line and bridge were constructed by State Railways and connected to the East Indian Railway(EIR) to the south of the river Ganges and a junction to the O&RR mainline. Thus providing a direct link from Allahbad to Lucknow and the hill stations beyond. .

In 1925, the O&RR was merged into the East Indian Railway(EIR) when the latter came into state management.

Branch Lines and extensions

• Benares City Branch Railway, opened 1900 as branch of the owners O&RR; however worked by Bengal and North-Western Railway(B&NWR).

Lines worked by O&RR at some time

• Nalhati-Azimganj Railway, opened 1863. Originally part of Indian Branch Railway, unique 4ft gauge; worked by O&RR, 1863-72; run as State Rly, 1872; leased to East Indian Railway(EIR), 1892
• Cawnpore-Burhwal Railway, opened 1896., Constructed and worked as State line up to 31 Mar 1915, then Government of India(GoI); managed and worked by O&RR.
• Hardwar-Dehra Railway, opened 1900. Small, privately-owned assisted broad gauge branchline worked by O&RR

Lines surveyed by O&RR

• Tilhar-Budaun-Hapur Railway Survey. Under survey by O&RR,1909 . Ref Civil List 1909 page 379 – Railways O&RR - unable to determine if constructed.

Records

An on-line search of the India Office Records (IOR) records held at the British Library relating to this railway gives the following: -

• L/AG/46/16; “Records of the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Company”; 1862-1888
• V/24/3582; “India. Public Works Department: Administration and progress report of the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway, 1872/73-1875/76”

Personnel

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

1905 Civil List The following from the Public Works Department, are recorded as deployed to the O&RR:-

• William Edward Meares, 1890, Executive Engineer.
• George Frederick Wilson, 1898, Manager .
• Bernard Baxter, 1901, Engineer-in-Chief

Thacker's Directories The following for Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Personnel 1872 have been indexed in Grace's Guide:-

• "1872 Thacker's Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Personnel"

Various Other Records - Chronological Order

• Henry Burdett Hederstedt, date unspecified (probably late 1860's, O&RR Chief Engineer, 'a position he held for nearly 20 years' and 1881-87, Dufferin Bridge over the Ganges at Benares, as O&RR Chief Engineer in charge of construction.
• Frederick Thomas Granville Walton, 1868-88, O&RR) Engineer.'During this time he was initially in charge of the construction of the Ramganga River Bridge and Lines'; 1881-87, Dufferin Bridge over the Ganges at Benares, O&RR Engineer-in-Charge of construction; 1889-96, O&RR Engineer-in-Chief .
• William Arthur Brunton, 1868-70, District Engineer, O&RR .
• Richard Arthur Sargeaunt, 1889-92, O&RR Manager .
• Henry Parsall Burt, 1901-02, Manager , posted from State Railways.
• William Danvers Waghorn, 1914, Agent , posted from State Railways.

Also see

• Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Battalion
• School fees subsidies-Railway subordinates’ children c 1935 for subsidies applying from 1921

External links

• History of The Oudh & Rohilkhand Railway oldmartiniansassociation.co.uk