Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Bengal Dooars Railway

2,751 bytes added, 07:52, 18 August 2020
‘Lines’ Headings and info ref 1918 and 1937 Reports, 1931 Map added
}}
[[File: Bengal Dooars Railway Map 1909.png|thumb|Bengal Dooars Railway Map 1909]][[File:Bengal Dooars Railway 1931 Map.png|thumb|Bengal Dooars Railway Map 1931]]
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/2up 1up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 165]; Retrieved 17 Dec 201518 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/2up 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>.
== 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.
== 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>[[Kurigram 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)]]''' (Narrow gauge; Retrieved 17 Aug 2020</ref>: 15 -* ‘Main Line’ total line length in 1893 31.0 miles(50km); Tista Junction to Kurigram - opened 6 February 1882after 1931 28. This line is a remnant 4 miles(46km)** ‘East Bank of the Kaunia Dharle RailwayTeesta (Barnes Ghat) to Domohani Section’, the most part of which was converted to metre gauge and incorporated in the main Assam lineabout 4.3 miles(7km), opened 1893, abandoned 1931*'''[[* ‘Domohani to Dam Dim-Bagrakote Extension Railway]]'''; an extension Section’, 26.7 miles(43km), opened 1893** ‘Mile 66 to BDR Domohani Section’, 2.7 miles(4km), opened 1891-921931*'''[[Ramsai Branch Railway]]''' ‘Branch Lines’ total line length 1893 5.6 miles(Metre gauge: 6 9km), after 1933 11.1 miles(18km); Lataguri ** ‘Lataguri Junction to Ramsai (Ramshai Section’, 5.6 miles(9km) - , opened 11 June 1893; this served a . First described as the ‘[[Ramsai Branch Railway]]’ serving the remote tea garden at Ramsai ** ‘Domohani to Barnes Ghat Section’, 5.5 miles(362 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*'''[[Lalmonirhat-Gitaldaha* ‘Chalsa Junction to Madarihat Section’ via Chengmari and Dalgaon, 38.5 miles(Geetaldaha62km) Railway]]'''; link between BDR and , opened 1903 . First described as the ‘ [[Cooch Behar Madari Hat Branch Railway]]; ** ‘Chalsa Junction to Metelli Section’, 5.2 miles(8km), opened c1918.1900*'''First described as the ‘[[Madari Hat Metelli Branch Railway]]''' * ‘Southern Extension’ total line length in 1900 65.8 miles(Metre gauge: 44 105km) ; 66.1 miles(106km); Mal ** ‘Barnes Junction to Chalsa Mile 61½ Section’, about 4.2 miles(6km), opened 1900, abandoned 1931** ‘Mile 06 to Mile 61½ Section’, 4.5 miles(7km)- , opened 1 April 1901; Chalsa 1931** ‘Mile 61½ to Chengmari Lalmanirhat Section’ via Baura and Bhotemari, 61.2 miles(14 98km) , opened 1900* ‘Western Section’ total line length 5.7 miles(10km) . First described as the ‘[[Dam Dim- opened 1 January 1903; Chengmari Bagrakote Extension Railway]]’** ‘Dam Dim to Dalgaon Oodlabari Section’, 2.8 miles(16 miles4km) - , opened 23 March 1903; Dalgaon 1901** ‘Oodlabari to Madari Hat (Bagrakote Section’, 3.9 miles(6km) , opened 1902 The ‘Statistics of Working’ show the year-by-opened 14 June 1903.year financial results *'''[[Metelli Branch Railway]]''' <br>For ‘Bengal Dooars Railway’ from 1893 through to 1936-37 with the route mileage rising from 36½ miles(Metre gauge: 5 km) to 39½ miles(km); Chalsa Junction by 1933 <ref name=Hist1937/><br>For ‘Bengal Dooars Extension’ from 1900 through to Metelli 1936-37 with the route mileage rising from 121 miles(5 km) to 121 miles(km) by 1918- opened 10 June 191819 <ref name=Hist1937/> == Classification ==[[Indian Railway Classification]] of 1926 - Class II railway system.
== 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
==Records==
9,628
edits

Navigation menu