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]]

[[File: Eastern Bengal Railway Map 1909.png|thumb| Eastern Bengal Railway Map 1909]] 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'' " <ref> "Money Market and City Intelligence", ''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, 7a. </ref>. == History ==

The first train ran between [[Sealdah]] and [[Ranaghat]] in September 1862. Thereafter further phases considerably extended the reach of the line and, by 1866, it linked [[Calcutta]] to [[Kushtia]]. The company had also acquired a steam vessel service operating between [[Kushtia]] and [[Dacca]].<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228649/8330.pdf H.M. Government “Statute Law Repeals: Nineteenth Report : Draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill; April 2012"; pages 127-8, paragraphs 3.51 - 3.55] Retrieved on 2 Jun 2016</ref> [[Franklin Prestage]] became the Agent for the EBR in the early 1870's. In its original contract with the Secretary of State for India, the EBR Company was to open a rail-line to [[Darjeeling]]. However the [[Government of India]] took a decision to stop expansion of rail-lines by Guaranteed companies in new areas and instead decided to construct and manage new rail-lines as [[:Category:State Railways|State Railways]]. Prestage resigned from EBR and in 1879 set up the [[Darjeeling Steam Tramway]] Company <ref>[http://www.irfca.org/articles/eminent-railwaymen.html#prestage “Eminent Railwaymen of Yesteryears” by R R Bhandari July 2008, reproduced by IRFCA ''Indian Railways Fan Club''] Retrieved on 2 Jun 2016</ref>.

The GoI merged the broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) [[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]] into the EBSR, and several others in 1887. In 1904, the EBSR took over the several metre gauge([[Bengal Central RailwayRail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]] which it had previously been working, ) and the narrow gauge [[Brahmaputra-Sultanpur RailwayRail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]. In 1915, the system reverted to the style, '''Eastern Bengal Railway'''.railways<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 this giving the three Rail Gauges that made 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://inforailthe EBR network.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 1920sIn 1915, the EBR continued system reverted to grow by merger and amalgamation, and also began to convert sections of metre and narrow gauge to eliminate rail bottlenecks. On 1 January 1941the style, the GoI acquired the [['''Eastern Bengal Dooars Railway]] and merged it into the EBR'''.

In 1942During the 1920s, the GoI merged the EBR with the [[Assam Bengal Railway]] continued to grow by merger and amalgamation, and also began to create the [[Bengal convert sections of metre and Assam Railway]]narrow gauge to eliminate rail bottlenecks.

==Branch Lines and extensions==*[[Budge-Budge Branch Railway]] opened 1890. Branch line of EBR*[[Canning Branch Railway]] opened 1862-63. Branch line of EBR *[[Chitpur Branch Railway]] opened 1873. Branch line of EBR *[[Dalsingpara Branch Railway]] opened after 1811. Branch of Jainti Section of EBR ; under construction 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 incorporating part of [[Kaunia-Dharlia State Tram/Railway]]; extended up to 1909*[[Goalundo Branch Railway]] opened 1862. Branch from Poradaha Section of EBR ; extended up to 1882.*[[Godagari Ghat Branch Railway]] opened 1909. Branch from Katihar Section of EBR *[[Jainti Branch Railway]] opened 1900-On 1. Branch of Jainti Section of EBR*[[Jagannathganj Ghat Branch Railway]] opened c.1887?. Branch from January 1941, the GoI acquired the Dacca Section of EBR (Narayanganj to Bahadurabad Ghat section*[[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 and extended 1889*[[Kaunia-Bonarpara Extension Railway]] opened 1905. Extension to EBR network*[[Khulna Branch Railway]] opened 1883-4. Originally [[Bengal Central Railway]]; in 1905 became Branch line of EBR *[[Kishanganj Branch Railway]] opened 1892. Branch from Katihar Section of EBR*[[Kurigram Branch Railway]] opened 1882. Branch line of Eastern Bengal State Railway*[[Lalgola Ghat Branch Railway]] opened 1905. Branch line of EBR ; opened 1905, extended 1907*[[Lalmonirhat-Gitaldaha(Geetaldaha) Railway]] opened c.1900. Link between [[Bengal Dooars Railway]] and [[Cooch Behar State Railway]].*[[Manihari Branch Railway]] opened 1887. Branch from Katihar Section of EBR *[[Murshidabad Branch Railway]] opened 1909. Branch line of merged it into the EBR*[[Patipukur Loop Railway]] opened 1904. Chord line of EBR for goods*[[Raiti Branch Railway]] opened 1910. Branch from Poradaha Section of EBR*[[Tanga Branch Railway]]. Branch of Assam Section of EBR ; under construction, 1911

==Railways absorbed into EBR==*[[Bengal Central Railway]] opened 1882. Private company without guarantee; merged into EBR In 1942, 1905*[[Bengal Dooars Railway]](BDR) opened 1893. Independent Company operation small MG network; the GoI merged into the EBR , 1941*[[Brahmaputra-Sultanpur Railway]] opened 1899. Amalgamated with EBR , 1904 together with the [[Phulchari Branch Railway]] and [[Santahar-Kaunia Loop Railway]]. *[[Calcutta and South Eastern Assam Bengal Railway]] opened 1862. Surrendered to [[Government of India |GoI]] , 1 Apr 1868; Worked by State, 1868-70; by EBR, 1870-74; merged into EBR, 1884*[[Cooch Behar State Railway]] opened 1893. State railway, worked and finally bought by EBR c.1899*[[Dacca State Railway]] opened 1885. Formerly [[Narayanganj-Dacca-Mymensingh State Railway]] ; merged into EBR , 1887; becoming Dacca Section of EBR *[[Diamond Harbour Line Railway]] opened 1862. First opened as [[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]]; merged into EBR , 1884*[[Kaunia-Dharlia State Tram/Railway]] opened 1884-85. Constructed by EBR as [[Rail_gauge#Metre_Gauge|NG]] Tram, converted to [[Rail_gauge#Metre_Gauge|NG]], 1901; part to EBR Gauhati Branch ; part to BDR Kurigram Branch *[[Kaunia-Kurigram Railway]] opened c.1885. Narrow gauge(NG); merged into EBR 1887; converted to metre gauge 1928/29.*[[Mymensingh-Jamalpur-Jagannath Railway]] opened 1898. Owned by [[Indian General Navigation and Railway Company]]; worked and finally purchased by EBR * [[Northern Bengal State Railway]](NBSR)opened 1877. Merged into EBR , 1887; becoming create the EBR North Bengal Section*[[Poradah Branch Railway]] opened c.1880. Constructed by [[Northern Bengal State Railway]](NBSR) but worked by EBR; apparently taken over by EBR c.1913*[[Ranagat-Bangaon Railway]] opened 1882. Opened as part of [[Bengal Central Railway]]; became section of EBR , 1905*[[Ranaghat-Krishnagar Light Railway]] opened 1899. Narrow gauge(NG), via Shantipur. Constructed by [[Martin's Light Railways]] Company taken over by EBR, 1904*[[Santipur-Nabadwip Light Railway]] opened 1898. Constructed by [[Martin's Light Railways]] Company; taken over by EBR , 1904 *[[Sara-Sirajgonj Railway]] opened 1915-16. Private company, worked by EBR, finally purchased by EBR ==Lines worked by EBR at some time==*[[Khulna-Bagerhat Railway]] opened 1918-19. Narrow gauge(NG) railway; constructed in 1918. Worked by EBR*[[Lalmonirhat-Gitaldaha(Geetaldaha) Railway]] opened c.1900. Link between [[Bengal Dooars Railway]] and [[Cooch Behar State Railway]], jointly worked.*[[Teesta-Kurigram Railway]] opened c.1885. 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==*[[Pandu Ghat-Gauhati Railway]] opened c.1908 Link constructed by EBR to link the [[Amingaon-Pandu Train Ferry]]. Rail transhipment by ferry crossing the Brahmaputra River linking EBR system to [[Assam Bengal Railway]](ABR)'s network. Worked by ABR; transferred to ABR, 1922*[[Sara Train Ferry]] opened c.1899. Ferry link from EBR main line across Ganges to Sara taking Goods wagons. Operated until 1915 on opening of Hardinge Bridge ==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 “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search]; Retrieved 22 Jan 2016</ref> gives many references. The most important being:-*'''L /AG/46/10 ''' “Eastern Bengal Railway Company; 1856-1885*'''L /AG/46/30 ''' “Records of the India Office relating to the Eastern Bengal Railway Company; 1885-1920”

==EBR Personnel==The following employment records held in the IOR are relevant :-*See separate page '''L/AG/46/10/35''' “Contracts of appointment (1862-1869)” *'''FIBIS database[[Eastern Bengal Railway Personnel]]''' [http://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_components&id=1068&s_id=323 List of Indian Railways UK Contracted Staff taken from IOR Series L/AG/46/12].

== EBR Lines owned and worked ==The above development of the 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/46three Rail Gauge Divisions.*'''L/AG/46/10/35''' “Lists of staff, 1879-1881”

'''[[Eastern Bengal Railway Personnel]]''' gives details of EBR staff from several other sources:-==External Links== *“India Civil List 1890” <ref>Fibis Records, scans of original ” </ref> and the " India List and India Office List, 1905" <ref>[httpshttp://playen.googlebanglapedia.comorg/books/readerindex.php?idtitle=b2NPAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en_GB&pg=GBS.PR14 Railway Banglapedia " India List and India Office List, 1905National Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh"] Retrieved on 2 Jun 2016</ref> for [[Public Works Department]] Railway Branch or [[:Category:State Railways|State Railways]] personnel deployed to EBR gives a number of entries. The most notable of these have been listed. *"Grace's Guide ” for notable personnel <ref>[http://wwwinforail.gracesguideblogspot.cocom/2012/10/brief-history-of-bangladesh-railway.uk/Main_Page “Grace’s Guide”html "Brief History of Bangladesh Railway" Bangladesh Railway Information]; Retrieved 2 Jun 2016</ref>*Wikipedia