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|image=Bengal and North Western Railway Logo b.jpg|caption= Bengal and North Western Railway Logo

|workshop= [[Gorakhpur]], [[Samastipur]] (and Stores), [[Sonpur]] <br> ''See'' [[B&NWR Railway Workshops]]

The '''Bengal and North-Western Railway''' (B&NWR) was a metre gauge ([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) railwayowned and worked by the ‘Bengal and North Western Railway Company ‘(registered 23 October 1882, dissolved October 1946).<br> In 1890 the company took over management of the ‘[[Tirhoot State Railway]]’(TSR) and managed a number of further lines up until 1943<br>The ‘Bengal and North Western Railway’ was merged into the ‘[[Oudh and Tirhut Railway]]’ on 1 January 1943 ==History==The ‘Bengal and North Western Railway Company ‘came into being in October 1882 as a result of an agreement made with the Secretary of State for India. The government had started work in 1881 on constructing a rail link between [[Patna]] and [[Bahraich]], along the Ghaghara River. The company agreed to complete the construction works and, in consideration of that investment, the government would provide a tranche of land without charge (instead of providing a guaranteed return). Once constructed the company became responsible for the railway’s operation under the concession agreement<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228649/8330.pdf Great Britain. Law Commission, “Statute Law Repeals: Nineteenth Report : Draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill; April 2012"]; page 118, paragraph 3.14. Retrieved 19 Feb 2016</ref> The B&NWR was unusual in that it was one of the very few railways promoted and constructed without Government assistance other than the gift of land, the original contract being signed in 1882. The B&NWR Agent and Chief Engineer was [[Alexander Izat]] from February 1883, 'on loan' from the [[Public Works Department]] <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Alexander_Izat Grace's Guide "Alexander Izat"]; Retrieved on 20 Jul 2016</ref>, a post which he held till the 31st May 1904 when he joined the Home Board as Managing Director <ref> [https://www.bl.uk/catalogues/indiaofficeselect/PhotoEnqFull.asp?PrintID=123274 India Office Records “Bengal and N.W. Ry., Opening of Izat Bridge at Allahabad, on 31st October, 1912”. Photo 1082/13(5) ]; Retrieved 20 Jul 2016</ref>.An outstanding tribute was paid to [[Alexander Izat]] in 1912 - see the Inaugeration of the [[Izat Bridge]]  In 1890 the company took over management of the ‘[[Tirhoot State Railway]]’(TSR) and managed a number of further lines up until 1943 <ref name=name>[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228649/8330.pdf Great Britain. Law Commission, “Statute Law Repeals: Nineteenth Report : Draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill; April 2012"]; page 118, paragraph 3.15. Retrieved 19 Feb 2016</ref>. Later, following retirement of [[Alexander Izat]] in 1904, [[James Rennie Izat]], the eldest son became the B&NWR Chief Engineer <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/James_Rennie_Izat Grace's Guide "James Rennie Izat"]; Retrieved on 21 Jul 2016</ref>, and later the B&NWR Agent and General Manager, with headquarters at [[Gorakhpur]] <ref name=gazette>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35951/page/1373/data.pdf "The London Gazette 23 March ]; Retrieved on 21 Jul 2016</ref>. [[William Rennie Izat]], a younger son was the B&NWR Chief Engineer <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/W._R._Izat Grace's Guide "W R Izat"]; Retrieved on 21 Jul 2016</ref>. ''It has not been possible to determine these dates''.  On 1 January 1943, the Government of India nationalised the B&NWR and amalgamated it with the [[Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway]] and the [[Lucknow-Bareilly State Railway]] to form the [[Oudh and Tirhut Railway]] which subsequently, in 1952, became part of '''North Eastern Railway''', a zone of Indian Railways.<ref name=name/> ==B&NWR Lines Owned and Worked==[[File:Bengal and North-Western Railway Railway Map 1909.png|thumb|B&BNR Lines Owned and Worked , 1909]][[File:B&NWR Lines Owned and Worked 1937.png|thumb| B&NWR Lines Owned and Worked , 1937]]The B&NWR system, (including the ‘[[Tirhoot State Railway]]’), eventually comprising a complicated network of lines on the left (north) bank of the Ganges between [[Katihar]] in the east and [[Lucknow]] in the west.The northernmost of which lies along the Nepal Frontier, whereit is in close touch for a length of about 400 miles. Its southern boundary is for the most part the Ganges, and includes within its area the whole of the trans-Gogra districts with most of Bihar. The lines run through an especially fertile area of land between the Ganges and Gogra rivers known as the Doab. Doab literally means land lying between two confluent rivers. Most of the trade was born by these rivers and the railway has many spur lines to ghats on both rivers To the east it is bounded by the [[Eastern Bengal Railway]](EBR); on the west by the [[Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway]](R&KR);to the south by the [[East Indian Railway]](EIR) and [[Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway]](O&RR) broad-gauge lines Also links up with the [[Rajputana-Malwa Railway]](RMR) metre-gauge system at Cawnpore. In 1905 there was 1468 miles(2363km) of metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) in the B&NWR Network, (902 miles plus the 566 miles ‘[[Tirhoot State Railway]](TSR)’)<br>By 1918 this increased to 2046 miles(3293km); (1242 miles plus 804 miles TSR) <ref name=Admin1918>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n165/mode/2up "Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 157-162]; Retrieved 16 Apr 2020</ref><br>By 1937 there was 2108 miles(3392km); (1270 miles plus 740 miles TSR)<ref name=Admin1937>[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’pages 11-20, pdf 32-41]; Retrieved 16 Apr 2020</ref> [[B&NWR Lines Owned and Worked|''See separate page'' '''B&NWR Lines Owned and Worked''' ''for full details of all lines'' ]] == Classification ==[[Indian Railway Classification]] of 1926 – Class 1 railway system <ref name=Admin1937/>. ==B&NWR Railway Workshops==The B&NWR constructed a number of workshops over the years at [[Sonpur]], [[Gorakhpur]] and [[Samastipur]]  [[B&NWR Railway Workshops|''See separate page'' '''B&NWR Railway Workshops''']]

===Bengal B& North Western main line=NWR Railway Constructions==[[File:B&NWR main line was 301 miles long [[Metre gaugeBridges ABC.png|thumb|B&NWR Bridges]] consisting of following sections:* Sonepur to Mankapur (219 miles) opened 15 January 1885''See separate page for details''* Mankapur to Gonda (17 miles) opened 2 April 1884'''[[Inchcape Bridge]]''' marked '''A''' on map* Gonda to Colonelganj (18 miles) opened (29 October 1891) 1 February 1892* Colonelganj to Jarwal Road (11 miles) opened 1 February 1892'''[[Izat Bridge]]''' marked '''B''' on map* Jarwal Road to Bahramghat (5 miles) (including '''[[Elgin Bridge, Barabanki|Elgin Bridge]]) opened 18 December 1896* Bahramghat to Burhwal (4 miles) opened 24 November 1896* Burwhal to Barabanki (Broad gauge: 17 miles) opened 1 April 1872** Burhwal to Barabanki (Broad to Mixed gauge) converted 24 November 1896** Burhwal to Barabanki (Mixed to Metre gauge) converted around 1943* Dighwara-Goldingganj diversion (7 miles) opened around 1960* Barabanki to Chhapra (Metre to Broad gauge) converted 1981* Chhapra Kacheri to Dighwara (Metre to Broad gauge: 10 miles) converted autumn 2006''' marked '''C''' on map

===Branch Lines=Records==''This section is workRefer 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-in1845-progress1947/ 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===Lines worked by B&NWR===IAMS_VU2 “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search"]; Retrieved 20 Jan 2016</ref> gives 81 references. The most important being:- *'''L/AG/46/23''' “Records of the India Office relating to the Bengal and North Western Railway; 1882-1921” *''This section is work'L /F/7/256-in278''' “Collection 27: Bengal and North Western Railway; 1908-progress1946”

== History Personnel Records=='''[[India Office Records]]'''. There are no staff lists or personnel records for the B&NWR held at the [[British Library]].

The '''Miscellaneous references''' have been identified from varied sources:-*[[James Rhind]], 1883, B&NWR was unusual in that it was one Locomotive Superintendent, posted from PWD at request of [[Alexander Izat]], on taking charge of the construction of the very few railways promoted B&NWR. He equipped the line with rolling-stock, built a number of steamers and constructed without Government assistance other than flats for the gift [[Ganges Ferry, Digha Ghat-Sonpur]], near [[Bankipore]], and also for the crossing of landthe Gogra River, near Ajoodhia'. He died in September 1888 on duty with B&NWR <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/James_Rhind Grace's Guide "James Rhind"] Retrieved on 23 Jul 2016</ref>. *[[George John Price]], 1896, B&NWR Assistant Engineer. Employed for some years on the construction of the B&NWR Mansi-Khatihar branch line in [[Kharik]] subdivision, under [[Alexander Izat]] the Chief Engineer and Agent. Transferred to [[Gonda]], in Oudh, where he was placed in charge of a B&NWR division of the original contract being signed railway and died in service November, 1903 <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/George_John_Price Grace's Guide "George John Price"] Retrieved on 23 Jul 2016</ref>.*[[William Ernest Napper]], 1903-20 Engineer. In charge of [[Gonda]] Division on death of [[George John Price]] in 1882Nov 1903.Remained with B&NWR until 1920 [[William Ernest Napper|''see biography'']]

On 1 January 1943, the Government of India nationalised the B&NWR and amalgamated it with the ==External Links==[[Rohilkund https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_and_North_Western_Railway "Bengal and Kumaon North Western Railway"]] to form the [[Oudh and Tirhut Railway]] which subsequently, in 1952, became part of '''North Eastern Railway''', a zone of Indian Railways.Wikipedia

==NotesReferences ==# Rao, M.A. (1988). Indian Railways, New Delhi: National Book Trust# Chapter 1 - Evolution of Indian Railways-Historical Background<references />