Changes

|timeline2date= 1868|timeline2details= [[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]] mergertaken over

|timeline4date= 1915|timeline4details= Opening of [[Hardinge Bridge]] at Sara Ghat

|company1= 1884|company1details= [[Eastern Bengal Railway]]|company2=1868

|workshop= [[Kanchrapara]], [[Saidpur]] <br>''See'' [[EBR Railway Workshops]]

The '''Eastern Bengal Railway''' Company (EBR) was formed as a [[Guaranteed Railways|Guaranteed Railway]] company in 1857 for "the construction and working of a line from [[Calcutta ]] to [[Dacca]], with a branch to [[Jessore]]. Capital 1,000,000''l''. This amount has been sanctioned for the line from Calcutta to the Ganges at Kooshtee([[Kushtia]]), near Pubnah, about 80 miles, all that is authorised to be proceeded with at present. Rate of Interest Guaranteed - 5 per cent on 1,000,000''l''." <supref>1"Money Market and City Intelligence", ''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, 7a. </supref>.

==Branch Lines and extensionsHistory==*[[Budge-Budge Branch Railway]] opened 1890The first construction started in October 1859. Branch line of EBR*[[Canning Branch Railway]] opened Isambard Kingdom Brunel had been 1862-63. Branch line of engaged in Britain as consulting engineer to the EBR *and [[Chitpur Branch RailwayBradford Leslie]] opened 1873. Branch line of , EBR *[[Dalsingpara Branch Railway]] opened after 1811. Branch of Jainti Section of EBR ; under construction an English civil engineer who specialised in 1911*[[Dhubri Branch Railway]] opened 1902. Branch of Assam Section of EBR.*[[Faridpur Branch Railway]] opened 1898-99. Branch from Poradaha Section of EBR*[[Gauhati Branch Railway]] opened 1906. Part of Assam Section of EBR bridges, incorporating part of [[Kaunia-Dharlia State Tram/Railway]]; extended up was sent to 1909*[[Goalundo Branch Railway]] opened 1862. Branch from Poradaha Section India as engineer in charge of EBR ; extended up to 1882.*[[Godagari Ghat Branch Railway]] opened 1909bridges and viaducts. Branch from Katihar Section He supervised the building of EBR *[[Jainti Branch Railway]] opened 1900-1. Branch of Jainti Section of EBR*[[Jogbani Branch Railway]] opened 1887. Branch from Katihar Section of EBR ; extended 1909*[[Kankurgachi Chord Railway]] opened 1907. Short connecting section of EBR*[[Katihar Branch Railway]] opened 1883. Branch of Katihar Section of EBR ; opened 1883 the Eschamutter and extended 1889*[[Kaunia-Bonarpara Extension Railway]] opened 1905Koormar river bridges before returning to Britain in 1861. Extension He returned to EBR network*[[Khulna Branch Railway]] opened 1883-4. Originally [[Bengal Central Railway]]; India in 1905 1865 and became Branch line of EBR *Chief Engineer and Agent <ref> [[Kishanganj Branch Railway]] opened 1892https://en. Branch from Katihar Section of EBR*[[Kurigram Branch Railway]] opened 1882wikipedia. Branch line of Eastern Bengal State Railway*[[Lalgola Ghat Branch Railwayorg/wiki/Bradford_Leslie Wikipedia "Bradford Leslie"]] opened 1905. Branch line of ; Retrieved on EBR ; opened 1905, extended 19075 May 2016</ref>*<ref>[[Lalmonirhat-Gitalaha(Geetaldaha) Railway]] opened chttps://books.google.1900co. Link between [[Bengal Dooars Railway]] uk/books?id=PpJMCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT74&lpg=PT74&dq=southern+punjab+railway+company&source=bl&ots=R1AsTgkegr&sig=CzpHod72_VMtjRKj6Ire4zWNOV4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjyqrig1rXMAhVrJMAKHY0EDRc4ChDoAQg3MAU#v=onepage&q=southern%20punjab%20railway%20company&f=false Google Books “New Delhi: The Last Imperial City- Sir Bradford Leslie and [[Cooch Behar State Railway]]the meaning of Empire, Chapter 5.*[[Manihari Branch Railway]] opened 18873” by D. Branch from Katihar Section of EBR *[[Murshidabad Branch RailwayJohnson, Richard Watson"]] opened 1909. Branch line of EBR*[[Patipukur Loop Railway]] opened ; Retrieved on 1904. Chord line of EBR for goods*[[Raiti Branch Railway]] opened 1910. Branch from Poradaha Section of EBR*[[Tanga Branch Railway]]2 Jun 2016</ref>. Branch of Assam Section of EBR ; under construction, 1911

==Railways absorbed into EBR==*[[Bengal Central RailwayFranklin Prestage]] opened 1882. Private company without guarantee; merged into EBR , 1905*[[Bengal Dooars Railway]](BDR) opened 1893. Independent Company operation small MG network; became the merged into Agent for the EBR , 1941*[[Brahmaputra-Sultanpur Railway]] opened 1899in the early 1870's. Amalgamated In its original contract with the Secretary of State for India, the EBR , 1904 together with [[Phulchari Branch Railway]] and [[SantaharCompany was to open a rail-Kaunia Loop Railway]]. *line to [[Calcutta and South Eastern RailwayDarjeeling]] opened 1862. Surrendered to However the [[Government of India |GoI]] , 1 Apr 1868; Worked by State, 1868took a decision to stop expansion of rail-70; lines by EBR, 1870-74; merged into EBR, 1884*[[Cooch Behar State Railway]] opened 1893. State railway, worked Guaranteed companies in new areas and instead decided to construct and finally bought by EBR c.1899*[[Dacca State Railway]] opened 1885. Formerly [[Narayanganj-Daccamanage new rail-Mymensingh State Railway]] ; merged into EBR , 1887; becoming Dacca Section of EBR *[[Diamond Harbour Line Railway]] opened 1862. First opened lines as [[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]]; merged into EBR , 1884*[[Kaunia-Dharlia :Category:State Tram/Railway]] opened 1884-85. Constructed by EBR as [[Rail_gauge#Metre_GaugeRailways|NG]] Tram, converted to [[Rail_gauge#Metre_Gauge|NG]], 1901; part to EBR Gauhati Branch ; part to BDR Kurigram Branch *[[Kaunia-Kurigram RailwayState Railways]] opened c.1885. Narrow gauge(NG); merged into Prestage resigned from EBR 1887; converted to metre gauge 1928/29.*and in 1879 set up the [[Mymensingh-Jamalpur-Jagannath RailwayDarjeeling Steam Tramway]] opened 1898. Owned by [[Indian General Navigation and Railway Company]]; worked and finally purchased by EBR * <ref>[[Northern Bengal State Railway]](NBSR)opened 1877http://www. Merged into EBR , 1887; becoming the EBR North Bengal Section*[[Poradah Branch Railway]] opened cirfca.1880. Constructed by [[Northern Bengal State Railway]](NBSR) but worked by EBR; apparently taken over by EBR c.1913*[[Ranagatorg/articles/eminent-Bangaon Railway]] opened 1882railwaymen. Opened as part html#prestage “Eminent Railwaymen of [[Bengal Central Railway]]; became section of EBR Yesteryears” by R R Bhandari July 2008, 1905*[[Ranaghat-Krishnagar Light Railway]] opened 1899. Narrow gauge(NG), via Shantipur. Constructed reproduced by [[MartinIRFCA ''s Light Indian Railways]] Company taken over by EBR, 1904*[[Santipur-Nabadwip Light Railway]] opened 1898. Constructed by [[MartinFan Club''s Light Railways]] Company; taken over by EBR , 1904 *[[Sara-Sirajgonj Railway]] opened 1915-16Retrieved on 2 Jun 2016</ref>. Private company, worked by EBR, finally purchased by EBR

==Lines worked by The EBR at some time==*[[Khulna-Bagerhat became the '''Eastern Bengal State Railway]] opened 1918-19. Narrow gauge'''(NGEBSR) railway; constructed in 1918. Worked , owned and managed by EBR*[[Lalmonirhat-Gitalahathe Government of India(Geetaldaha) Railway]] opened c.1900. Link between [[Bengal Dooars Railway]] and [[Cooch Behar State RailwayGovernment of India |GoI]]), jointly worked.*[[Teesta-Kurigram Railway]] opened c.1885on 30 June 1884. Section of [[Kaunia-Kurigram Railway]] , worked by EBR*[[Netrakona-Mohanganj Railway]] was constructed between 1912 and 1918 by the Mymensingh–Bhairab Bazar Railway Company, worked by EBR

==Train Ferry Links EBR==*The GoI merged the broad gauge([[Pandu Ghat-Gauhati RailwayRail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]] opened c.1908 Link constructed by EBR to link the ) [[Amingaon-Pandu Train FerryCalcutta and South Eastern Railway]]. Rail transhipment by ferry crossing into the Brahmaputra River linking EBR system to EBSR, and in 1887 several metre gauge([[Assam Bengal RailwayRail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]](ABR)'s network. Worked by ABR; transferred to ABR, 1922*and narrow gauge [[Sara Train FerryRail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]] opened c.1899. Ferry link from railwaysRailways – this giving the three Rail Gauges that made up the EBR main line across Ganges to Sara taking Goods wagonsnetwork. Operated until 1915 on opening of Hardinge Bridge

The first track was laid along During the east bank of 1920s, the Ganga EBR continued to [[Kushthia]] grow by merger and then across the river to [[Dacca]]. The line to Kushthia was opened in 1862, ending in [[Calcutta]] at [[Sealdah]]. The EBR became the '''Eastern Bengal State Railway'''amalgamation, owned and managed by the Government also began to convert sections of India (GoI), on 30 June 1884metre and narrow gauge to eliminate rail bottlenecks.

The GoI merged the [[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]] into the EBSR, and several others in 1887. In 1904, the EBSR took over the [[Bengal Central Railway]] which it had previously been working, and the [[Brahmaputra-Sultanpur Railway]]. In 1915, the system reverted to the style, '''Eastern Bengal Railway'''.<ref>[https://ia801009.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; pages 42(BG); 47(MG); 52(NG)]; Retrieved 17 Dec 2015</ref><ref>[http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Railway Banglapedia "National Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh" Railway]; Retrieved 17 Dec 2015</ref><ref>[http://inforail.blogspot.com/2012/10/brief-history-of-bangladesh-railway.html "Brief History of Bangladesh Railway" Bangladesh Railway Information]; Retrieved 17 Dec 2015</ref> During the 1920s, the EBR continued to grow by merger and amalgamation, and also began to convert sections of metre and narrow gauge to eliminate rail bottlenecks. On 1 January 1941, the GoI acquired the [[Bengal Dooars Railway]] and merged it into the EBR.

== Records EBR Lines owned and worked == The following are held in development of the [[India Office Records]] at the [[British Library]]. *'''L/AG/46/10/35''' : Contracts of appointment (1862-1869). The above EBR network is partially indexed detailed in *a separate page '''Z/L/AG/46[[Eastern Bengal Railway - Lines owned and worked]] ''' : Index to UK Appointments to Indian Railways (1849-1925) The following is not included in broken down into the index Z/L/AG/46. *'''L/AG/46/10/35''' : Lists of staff, 1879-1881three Rail Gauge Divisions.

== Notes External Links== <sup>1<*[http:/sup> /en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Railway Banglapedia "Money Market and City IntelligenceNational Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh", ''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, 7aRailway]*[http://inforail.blogspot.com/2012/10/brief-history-of-bangladesh-railway.html "Brief History of Bangladesh Railway" Bangladesh Railway Information]