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The '''[[File:Bengal-Dooars Railway''' (BDR) was a company owned and operated collection of small metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_GaugeMap 1909.png|thumb|MG]]) lines that ran from its junction with the [[Eastern Bengal Dooars RailwayMap 1909]] north west towards the [[Bhutan]] border.<ref>[httpsFile://ia801009Bengal Dooars Railway 1931 Map.us.archive.org/8/items/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System.pdf " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 163png|thumb|Bengal Dooars Railway Map 1931]]; Retrieved 17 Dec 2015</ref>

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://ia801009.us.archive.org/8/itemsstream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System.pdf #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 17 Dec 201518 Aug 2020</ref>.

== Branch Bengal Doors Railway Lines ==*'''The following mainly based on the 1937 ‘Report on Railways’<ref name=Hist1937/> and 1918 ‘Administrration Report’ <ref name=Admin>[[Ramsai Branch Railwayhttps://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n165/mode/1up “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 165 (pdf 174)]]''' (Metre gauge; Retrieved 17 Aug 2020</ref>: 6 -* ‘Main Line’ total line length in 1893 31.0 miles(50km); Lataguri Junction after 1931 28.4 miles(46km)** ‘East Bank of the Teesta (Barnes Ghat) to Ramsai Domohani Section’, about 4.3 miles(6 7km), opened 1893, abandoned 1931** ‘Domohani to Dam Dim Section’, 26.7 miles(43km) - , opened 11 June 1893; this served a remote tea garden at Ramsai ** ‘Mile 66 to Domohani Section’, 2.7 miles(362 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 ‘[[Madari Hat Ramsai Branch Railway]]''' ’ serving the remote tea garden at Ramsai** ‘Domohani to Barnes Ghat Section’, 5.5 miles(Metre gauge: 44 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 ** ‘Mal Junction to Chalsa (Junction Section’, 5 .1 miles(8km)- , opened 1 April 1901; Chalsa ** ‘Chalsa Junction to Madarihat Section’ via Chengmari (14 miles) - opened 1 January 1903; Chengmari to and Dalgaon (16 , 38.5 miles) - opened 23 March 1903; Dalgaon to Madari Hat (9 miles62km) -, opened 14 June 1903.*'''First described as the ‘ [[Metelli Madari Hat Branch Railway]]''' (Metre gauge: 5 miles); Chalsa ’** ‘Chalsa Junction to Metelli (Section’, 5 .2 miles(8km) - , opened 10 June 1918.*'''First described as the ‘[[Kurigram Metelli Branch Railway]]''' ’* ‘Southern Extension’ total line length in 1900 65.8 miles(Narrow gauge: 15 105km) ; 66.1 miles(106km); Tista ** ‘Barnes Junction to Kurigram - Mile 61½ Section’, about 4.2 miles(6km), opened 6 February 18821900, abandoned 1931** ‘Mile 06 to Mile 61½ Section’, 4. This line is a remnant of the Kaunia Dharle Railway5 miles(7km), the most part of which was converted opened 1931** ‘Mile 61½ to metre gauge Lalmanirhat Section’ via Baura and incorporated in the main Assam lineBhotemari, 61.2 miles(98km) , opened 1900*'''‘Western Section’ total line length 5.7 miles(10km). First described as the ‘[[Dam Dim-Bagrakote Extension Railway]]'''; an extension ’** ‘Dam Dim to Oodlabari Section’, 2.8 miles(4km), opened 1901** ‘Oodlabari to BDR Bagrakote Section’, 3.9 miles(6km), opened 18911902 The ‘Statistics of Working’ show the year-92by-year financial results *'''[[Lalmonirhat<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-Gitaldaha37 with the route mileage rising from 121 miles(km) to 121 miles(Geetaldahakm) Railway]]'''; link between BDR and by 1918-19 <ref name=Hist1937/> == Classification ==[[Cooch Behar Indian RailwayClassification]]; opened cof 1926 - Class II railway system.1900

== Associate 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 ’, 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

The following An on-line search of the IOR records are reported relating to be relevantthis railway<ref>[http://wwwsearcharchives.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/india/indiaofficerecordsfamilyhistoryprimo_library/occupationslibweb/railwayemploymentaction/railwaysearch.html IOR Railway Employment Recordsdo?vid=IAMS_VU2 “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search"]; Retrieved 16 20 Jan 2016</ref> ''(but not checked)''gives 18 references. The most important being:- *'''L/FAG/846/1-2025''' : "Appointments “Records of the India Office relating to State Railways made in the UK 1855Bengal Dooars Railway Company; 1895-1946" 1927” *'''Z/L/F/87/1285-2289''' “Collection 29: "Index to Appointments to State Railways made in the UK 1855Bengal Dooars Railway; 1926-1946"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''L<ref>[https:/AG/46play.google.com/4'''*'''Lbooks/AGreader?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</46/24'''ref>.