9,628
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
The BBLR was one of several small narrow gauge concerns owned ==Rail System==* '''Barasat-Basirhat Main Line''', 26 miles(42km). Agreements 1897, 1902 and worked by [[Martin1903, opened 1905. * '''Basirhat-Taki-Hosanabad Extension (Chingrighata)''', 8.50 miles (14km). Agreement 1907, opened 1909* '''Beliaghata Bridge to Patipkur (Pattipooker) Extension'''s Light Railways]], a company based in [[Calcutta]]16.62 miles(27km).Agreement 1908, opened 1910* '''Patipukur (Pattipooker) to Belgachia Extension''', 1.12 miles(1.8km). Agreements 1914, opened 1914. This also known as the '''Shambasar (Shyambazar) Branch'''
== External links ==A further Agreement dated 15 Aug 1914 <ref>British Library India Office Records L/F/8/17/1371 “Messrs. Martin and Co. on behalf of the Baraset-Basirhat Light Railway Company Limited, Application for construction of an extension to the Baraset-Basirhat Light Railway; 1914” </ref> gives sanction to the construction of a extension of the existing Baraset-Basirhat Light Railway, from the existing station of that line at Pattipooker to the tramway terminus at Belgatchia. The following clauses are of note:- *7.The tramway authorised by this order is a single line with passing places . . . running along the south side of the 5th and 6th miles of the Calcutta-Jessore Road to the tramway terminus at Belgatchia a distance of 5,450 feet (1.032 miles or 1.661 Km).*8. The Tramway is to run on 9ft width but a road width of 20 feet must be maintained and at no time is there to be more than one line of rails on metalled roads.*11. The gauge of the tramway is to be 2ft 6 inches*19. The vehicles used may be steam powered, and an outside cylinder type of locomotive used. *20. The speed shall not exceed 12 miles an hour on fenced sections and 10 miles an hour on unfenced. Locomotives must be fitted with Cowcatchers.*37. No train shall run between sunset and sunrise without consent of the Local Government approved in writing.
1937 Report Added, Classification added and minor text changes
|route= [[Barasat]] to [[Basirhat]]
|gauge1= 2' 6" NG
|gauge1details= 26 miles (1905)<br>52 miles (19431914)
|gauge2=
|gauge2details=
|gauge4=
|gauge4details=
|timeline1date= 1914|timeline1details=Line fully opened to traffic
|timeline2date=
|timeline2details=
|timeline3date= 1952|timeline3details=Nationalised|timeline4date= 19521955|timeline4details= NationalisedClosed|timeline5date= 19551962|timeline5details= ClosedPart converted to broad gauge and re-opened to traffic
|presidency= [[Bengal]]
|stations= [[Barasat]], [[Kadamgacha]], [[Diganga]], [[Bishnupur]], [[Basirhat]]
|system1date=
|system1details= Worked by [[Martin's Light Railways]]
|system2date= 1952
|system2details= [[Eastern Railway]] (IR zone)
}}
[[File:Baraset-Basirhat Light Railway.png|thumb|Barasat-Basirhat Light Railway]]The '''Barasat-Basirhat Light Railway''' (BBLR) was a small privately-owned and run short 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge (2' 6"[[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) railway which ran from [[Barasat]], a station on where there was an interchange with the [[Eastern Bengal Railway]] (Central Section), east for 26 miles (42km) to [[Basirhat]].The line opened in 1905 and extended to Chingrighata in 1909. The ‘Shambasar Branch’ opened in 1910 reaching Belgatchia in 1914, giving a total length of 52 miles(83km) <ref name=Admin>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n220/mode/2up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 212]; Retrieved 23 Aug 2017</ref>
==History==
The ‘Barasat-Basirhat Light Railway Company’ was one of several small narrow gauge concerns owned and worked by [[Martin's Light Railways]], a management company based in [[Calcutta]]. The principal Agreement dated 14 Dec 1897 between the District Board of the 24-Paragas and Messrs [[Martin & Company]] on behalf of the ‘Baraset-Basirhat Tramway Company Limited’, and gave concession for construction and operation of a tramway on a public road. It was in 1907 that a new company the ‘Barasat-Basirhat Light Railway Company Limited’ was formed <ref name=Admin/>
The 1937 Report ‘Statistics of Working’ show the year-by-year financial results from 1913-14 through to 1936-37. The Report also confirms that ‘[[httpMartin & Company]]’ were the Managing Agents<ref name=Hist>[https://enia801605.wikipediaus.archive.org/wiki30/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.36650/Martin%27s_Light_Railways "Martin's Light 2015.36650.India-Railway-Board-History-Of-Indian-Railways-Constructed-And-In-Progress.pdf US Archive .org pdf download of ‘History Of Indian Railways", constructed and in progress’, 31 March 1937 by ‘The Government of India - Railway Department’ page 263 pdf 305] ''Wikipedia''; Retrieved 26 Jul 2020</ref>.
The records show that at some point, ''date unknown, but must be after 1937'', the ownership of this railway changed to N I Roy and Sons Ltd <ref>'Light Railways in West Bengal' by Sidikuro,'The Economic Weekly' 30 May 1953, Table IV page 622</ref>
The line was taken over by [[Indian Railways]] in 1952 but closed in 1955. In 1962, part of the old track was converted to broad gauge and re-opened to traffic <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin%27s_Light_Railways#Barasat.E2.80.93Basirhat_Light_Railway Wikipedia “Baraset-Basirhat Light Railway” ]; Retrieved 23 Aug 2017</ref>
==Locomotives and Rolling Stock==
The 2ft 6in/762mm [[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) Locomotives are listed by Hughes with a total of nine of different types and specifications dating from 1904 through to 1925. Five are named as ‘Baraset’, ‘Basirhat’, ‘Alipore’, ‘Beliaghatta’ and ‘ Taki’. Also a Railcar dated 1938<ref name=Hughes>“Indian Narrow Gauge Locomotives 1863-1940” by Hugh Hughes, published by ‘The Continental Railway Circle’ Section 26 Martin’s Light Railways, (D) Baraset-Basirhat Light Railway, page 50 </ref>
==Further Information==
See '''[[Martin's Light Railways]]'''
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Railways]]
[[Category:Assisted Private Railways]][[Category:Narrow Gauge (NG) Railways]]
