Assam Railways and Trading Company
| Assam Railways and Trading Company | ||
|---|---|---|
| [[Image:|150px| ]] | ||
| System timeline | ||
| 1881 | Company formed | |
| 1945 | Railway undertakings nationalised | |
| Constituent companies / lines | ||
| 1882 | Dibru-Sadiya Railway | |
| Ledo and Tikak Margherita Colliery Railway | ||
| Key locations | ||
| Headquarters | Dibrugarh | |
| Workshops | Dibrugarh , Margherita | |
| Major Stations | Dibrugarh, Ledo, Talap, Tinsukia | |
| Successor system / organisation | ||
| 1945 | Bengal and Assam Railway | |
| System mileage | ||
| Metre gauge | 86 miles (1905) 105 miles (1921) 112 miles (1943) | |
| 2' 0" NG | 25 miles, colliery lines (1921) | |
| Associated auxiliary force | ||
| n/a | ||
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
The Assam Railways and Trading Company Ltd (AR&TC) was formed in 1881 to exploit the rich natural resources of the extreme north east corner of Upper Assam.
The Company was incorporated in 1881, and originated from an Agreement between the Secretary of State for India and ‘Shaw, Finlayson and Company’ to build a railway line between Dibrugarh) and Sadiya in north-eastern Assam. In the event, it constructed a main line from Debrugarh to the River Dehring, and a branch line from Makum Junction to Talap. The company also owned other valuable businesses, including colliery workings [1] and developed and owned the Digboi Oil Refinery until 1899 when AR&TC promoted a new company ‘Assam Oil Company’, which was sold to Burmah Oil Company in 1921[2].
The rail-based assets of the company were acquired by the government in 1945. The company no longer has rail operating interests in the Indian subcontinent, although it still exists as a non-trading company, owned by the Assam Company Limited (part of the Duncan Macneill Group). [3]
Railways owned by AR&TC
For full details Dibru-Sadiya Railway see ‘Dibru-Sadiya Railway’ separate page
- Dibru-Sadiya Railway, opened 1882. Owned by Assam Railways and Trading Co Ltd.; worked by Bengal and Assam Railway(B&AR), 1942.
- Makum Branch Railway, opened 1884. Branch of the Dibru-Sadiya Railway; Owned by Assam Railways and Trading Co Ltd. ; worked by B&AR, 1942.
- Ledo and Tikak Margherita Colliery Railway, opened 1897. Unassisted privately owned by Assam Railways and Trading Co Ltd. ; worked by B&AR, 1942.
- Saikhoa Extension Railwayopened 1910 from Talap to Saikhoa Ghat.
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 [4] gives 10 references. The most important being:-
- L/AG/46/2 “Records of the Assam Railways and Trading Company; 1881”
Further Information
For a complete and detailed history of the 'Assam Railways and Trading Company' there are the following sources:-
- “The Story of the Assam Railways and Trading Company” 1881-1951 by Charles Folliott Birney, Chairman as an excellent on-line source covering the following Chapters [5]:-
- ‘Assam’ and ‘Foundations of the Company’, pages 1-14
- ‘Dibru-Sadiya Railway’ - see separate page, pages 15-25
- ‘Collieries and Brickwork’, ‘Forests and Plywood Factory’, pages 26-31
- ‘Management and Labour’, pages 32-39
- ‘Flotilla’ (Steamer Service), pages 40-42
- ‘Oil’ (Digboi Oil Refinery- see separate page ); pages 44-47
- ‘Tea’ (Makum Tea and Branch Railway- see separate page) and (Namdang Tea), pages 48-50
- ‘War’ and ‘Past and Present’, pages 51-60
- ‘Senior Personnel Lists (Assam Railways and Trading, Makum Tea, Namdang Tea ), pages 61-64
- “Industrial Railways and Locomotives of India and South Asia” compliled by Simon Darvill. Published by ‘The Industrial Railway Society’ 2013. ISBN 978 1 901556 82-7. Available at http://irsshop.co.uk/India. Reference: Entry AS580 pages 100-102.
References
- ↑ Great Britain. Law Commission, Stationery Office H.M. Government “Statute Law Repeals: Nineteenth Report : Draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill; April 2012"; page 117, paragraph 3.8 Retrieved on 31 December 2015.
- ↑ “Industrial Railways and Locomotives of India and South Asia” compliled by Simon Darvill. Published by ‘The Industrial Railway Society’ 2013. ISBN 978 1 901556 82-7. Available at http://irsshop.co.uk/India. Reference: Entry AS90 pages 103-104
- ↑ Great Britain. Law Commission, Stationery Office H.M. Government “Statute Law Repeals: Nineteenth Report : Draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill; April 2012"; page 117, paragraph 3.13 Retrieved on 31 December 2015.
- ↑ British Library "Indian Office Records Search"; Retrieved 20 Jan 2016
- ↑ “The Story of the Assam Railways and Trading Company” 1881-1951 by Charles Folliott Birney, ; Retrieved 29 May 2020