9,628
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
The '''[[File:Bengal-Dooars Railway''' (BDR) was a company owned and operated collection of small metre gauge lines that ran from its junction with the [[Eastern Map 1909.png|thumb|Bengal Dooars RailwayMap 1909]] north west towards the [[BhutanFile:Bengal Dooars Railway 1931 Map.png|thumb|Bengal Dooars Railway Map 1931]] border.
‘Lines’ Headings and info ref 1918 and 1937 Reports, 1931 Map added
}}
The '''Bengal Dooars Railway''' (BDR) was a company owned and operated collection of small metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) lines that ran from its junction with the [[Eastern Bengal Railway]] north west towards the [[Bhutan]] border
<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n173/mode/1up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 165]; Retrieved 18 Aug 2020</ref>
The lines were constructed for the opening of the Western Dooars and for the development of the tea industry
<ref name=Hist1937>[https://ia801605.us.archive.org/30/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.36650/2015.36650.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 219-221, pdf 260-262 ]; Retrieved 18 Aug 2020</ref>.
Confusingly, the later lines are listed separately as the '''Bengal Dooars Extensions Railway''' in railway statistics, although they form an integral part of its system; these being State funded extensions and passed to BDR on completion
<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n175/mode/1up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 167]; Retrieved 18 Aug 2020</ref>.
== History ==
The Company was formed in the UK in 1891 and the main contract signed in the same year. The longest line ran from [[Lalmanir Hat]] in [[Rangpur District]] north west through [[Cooch Behar]] and [[Jalpaiguri]] Districts to the [[Western Dooars]] on the borders of [[Bhutan]]. The line's headquarters were at [[Domohani]].
The undertaking was amalgamated with the [[Eastern Bengal State Railway]] in January 1941.
==Bengal Doors Railway Lines==
The following mainly based on the 1937 ‘Report on Railways’<ref name=Hist1937/> and 1918 ‘Administrration Report’ <ref name=Admin>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n165/mode/1up “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 165 (pdf 174)]; Retrieved 17 Aug 2020</ref>:-
* ‘Main Line’ total line length in 1893 31.0 miles(50km); after 1931 28.4 miles(46km)
** ‘East Bank of the Teesta (Barnes Ghat) to Domohani Section’, about 4.3 miles(7km), opened 1893, abandoned 1931
** ‘Domohani to Dam Dim Section’, 26.7 miles(43km), opened 1893
** ‘Mile 66 to Domohani Section’, 2.7 miles(4km), opened 1931
* ‘Branch Lines’ total line length 1893 5.6 miles(9km), after 1933 11.1 miles(18km)
** ‘Lataguri Junction to Ramshai Section’, 5.6 miles(9km), opened 1893. First described as the ‘[[Ramsai Branch Railway]]’ serving the remote tea garden at Ramsai
** ‘Domohani to Barnes Ghat Section’, 5.5 miles(9km), opened 1933
==Bengal Doors Extensions Railway Lines==
The following mainly based on the 1937 ‘Report on Railways’<ref name=Hist1937/> and 1918 ‘Administrration Report’ <ref name=Admin/>
* ‘Eastern Extension’ total line length 48.8 miles(78km)
** ‘Mal Junction to Chalsa Junction Section’, 5.1 miles(8km), opened 1901
** ‘Chalsa Junction to Madarihat Section’ via Chengmari and Dalgaon, 38.5 miles(62km), opened 1903 . First described as the ‘ [[Madari Hat Branch Railway]]’
** ‘Chalsa Junction to Metelli Section’, 5.2 miles(8km), opened 1918. First described as the ‘[[Metelli Branch Railway]]’
* ‘Southern Extension’ total line length in 1900 65.8 miles(105km) ; 66.1 miles(106km)
** ‘Barnes Junction to Mile 61½ Section’, about 4.2 miles(6km), opened 1900, abandoned 1931
** ‘Mile 06 to Mile 61½ Section’, 4.5 miles(7km), opened 1931
** ‘Mile 61½ to Lalmanirhat Section’ via Baura and Bhotemari, 61.2 miles(98km) , opened 1900
* ‘Western Section’ total line length 5.7 miles(10km). First described as the ‘[[Dam Dim-Bagrakote Extension Railway]]’
** ‘Dam Dim to Oodlabari Section’, 2.8 miles(4km), opened 1901
** ‘Oodlabari to Bagrakote Section’, 3.9 miles(6km), opened 1902
The ‘Statistics of Working’ show the year-by-year financial results
<br>For ‘Bengal Dooars Railway’ from 1893 through to 1936-37 with the route mileage rising from 36½ miles(km) to 39½ miles(km) by 1933 <ref name=Hist1937/>
<br>For ‘Bengal Dooars Extension’ from 1900 through to 1936-37 with the route mileage rising from 121 miles(km) to 121 miles(km) by 1918-19 <ref name=Hist1937/>
== Classification ==
[[Indian Railway Classification]] of 1926 - Class II railway system.
==Connecting and Associated Lines==
* ‘[[Kurigram Branch Railway]]’ (Narrow gauge: 15 miles); Tista Junction to Kurigram - opened 6 February 1882. This line is a remnant of the ‘Kaunia Dharlia Railway’, the most part of which was converted to metre gauge and incorporated in the main Assam line.
* ‘[[Kaunia-Dharlia State Tram/Railway]]’, constructed c.1885 by [[East Bengal Railway]](EBR) as Narrow Gauge Tram. Converted to Medium Gauge, 1901 with part to EBR's ‘[[Gauhati Branch Railway]]’; part to ‘[[Kurigram Branch Railway]]’ mentioned above.
* ‘[[Lalmonirhat-Gitaldaha(Geetaldaha) Railway]]’, a link between BDR and ‘[[Cooch Behar Railway]]’, opened c.1900
==Records==
Refer to FIBIS Fact File #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 1845-1947” - available from the [http://www.fibis.org/store/fibis-books-and-publications/bff-0004-research-sources-for-indian-railways-1845-1947/ 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
<ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=IAMS_VU2 “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search"]; Retrieved 20 Jan 2016</ref> gives 18 references. The most important being:-
*'''L/AG/46/25''' “Records of the India Office relating to the Bengal Dooars Railway Company; 1895-1927”
*'''L/F/7/285-289''' “Collection 29: Bengal Dooars Railway; 1926-1945”
==Personnel==
Staff records have not been found.
The 1905 Civil List gives one record
*[[John Monthermer Montague]], Executive Engineer from the [[Public Works Department]] was 'from 1899 on loan to the Bengal Dooars Railway Company' <ref>[https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=b2NPAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en_GB&pg=GBS.PA569 Google Books " India List and India Office List, 1905" page 569 (pdf page 532)] Retrieved on 27 May 2016</ref>.
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Railways]]
[[Category:Assisted Railways]]
