Changes

|route= [[Calcutta]] to [[Faridpur]] (BG) with branches to<br>[[Budge -Budge]], [[Diamond Harbour]], [[Lalgola]]

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

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

|stations= '''[[Sealdah|Calcutta Sealdah]]''', [[Dum Dum]], [[Naihati]], [[Kaliganga]], [[Rajbari]], [[Goalundo]], [[Ranaghat]], [[Krishnagar]], [[Plassey]], [[Murshidabad]], [[Bangaon]], [[Jessore]],See also separate page [[Calcutta_Railways_%26_Stations#Sealdah_Station| ''' Calcutta Seadah Station''']] for details

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

|workshopstations= See also separate page [[KanchraparaCalcutta_Railways_%26_Stations#Sealdah_Station| ''' Calcutta Seadah Station''']]for details|stationsworkshop= [[BangaonKanchrapara]], [[JessoreSaidpur]] <br>''See'' [[EBR Railway Workshops]],

==History==The '''Eastern Bengal Railway''' (first construction started in October 1859. Isambard Kingdom Brunel had been engaged in Britain as consulting engineer to the EBR) and [[Bradford Leslie]], an English civil engineer who specialised in bridges, was formed sent to India as engineer in 1857 for "charge of bridges and viaducts. He supervised the building of the construction [[East_Bengal_Railway_Bridges#Ichamati_River_Railway_Bridge|Eschamutter(Ichamati)]] and working of a line from Calcutta [[East_Bengal_Railway_Bridges#Kumar_River_Railway_Bridge|Koomar(Kumar)]] river bridges before returning to Dacca, with a branch Britain in 1861. He returned to JessoreIndia in 1865 and became Chief Engineer and Agent <ref> [https://en.wikipedia. Capital 1,000,000''l''org/wiki/Bradford_Leslie Wikipedia "Bradford Leslie"]; Retrieved on 5 May 2016</ref><ref>[https://books.google.co. This amount has been sanctioned for 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 the line from Calcutta to the Ganges at Kooshteemeaning of Empire, near Pubnah, about 80 miles, all that is authorised to be proceeded with at presentChapter 5.3” by D. Rate of Interest Guaranteed - 5 per cent on 1Johnson,000,000''l''.Richard Watson" <sup>1]; Retrieved on 2 Jun 2016</supref>.

==Branch Lines and extensions==*The '[[Budge-Budge Branch RailwayBrassey & Co|Brassey, Wythes and Paxman Partenership]] opened 1890. Branch line of EBR*[[Canning Branch Railway]] opened undertook the construction 1862-63. Branch line of the EBR *[[Chitpur Branch Railway]] opened 1873. Branch a 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 112 miles(179km) from Poradaha Section of EBR*[[Gauhati Branch Railway]] opened 1906. Part of Assam Section of EBR incorporating part of [[Kaunia-Dharlia State Tram/RailwayCalcutta]]; extended up to 1909*[[Goalundo Branch RailwayKushtia|Kooshtea(Kushtia)]] opened 1862on the River Ganges. Branch from Poradaha Section of EBR ; extended up to 1882.*[[Godagari Ghat Branch Railway]] The line opened 1909. Branch in stages from Katihar Section of EBR *[[Jainti Branch RailwayCalcutta]] 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 in 1862 and extended 1889*[[Kaunia-Bonarpara Extension Railway]] opened 1905. Extension completed through to EBR network*[[Khulna Branch RailwayKushtia]] 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-Gitalaha(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 EBR*[[Patipukur Loop Railway]] opened 19041864. 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==*The [[Bengal Central Railway]] opened 18821870-71_Report_on_Railways#Progress_on_State_lines. Private company without guarantee; merged into EBR , 1905*[[Bengal Dooars Railway]](BDR) opened 1893. Independent Company operation small MG network; merged into EBR , 1941*[[Brahmaputra_Paragraphs_5-Sultanpur Railway]] opened 189910. Amalgamated with EBR , 1904 together with [[Phulchari Branch Railway]] and [[Santahar3B_Pages_3-Kaunia Loop Railway]]. *[[Calcutta and South Eastern Railway]] opened 1862. Surrendered to [[Government of India 4|GoI]] , 1 Apr 1868; Worked by State, 1868“1870-70; by EBR, 1870-74; merged into EBR, 1884*[[Cooch Behar State Railway]] opened 1893. State railway, worked and finally bought by EBR 71 Annual Report for Indian Railways for the 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/RailwayBengal Railway“]] opened 1884gives:-85. Constructed by EBR as [[Rail_gauge#Metre_Gauge|NG]] Tram, converted to [[Rail_gauge#Metre_GaugeBroad_Gauge|NG]], 1901; part to EBR Gauhati Branch ; part to BDR Kurigram Branch *[[Kaunia-Kurigram Railway‘Broad Gauge (BG)]] opened c.1885. Narrow gaugeLine sanctioned 159 miles(NG256km); 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]]which included 45 miles(NBSR72km)of Line opened 18771870 with nil to be finished’. Merged into EBR , 1887; becoming The Report also details the EBR North Bengal Section*[[Poradah Branch Railway]] opened c1870-71_Report_on_Railways#Eastern_Bengal_Railway.1880. Constructed by [[Northern Bengal State Railway]](NBSR) but worked by EBR; apparently taken over by EBR c.1913*[[Ranagat_Paragraphs_76-Bangaon Railway]] opened 188278. Opened as part 3B_Page_36|‘progress of [[Bengal Central Railwaythe railway and the commercial summery’]]; became section of EBR , 1905*[[Ranaghat-Krishnagar Light Railway]] opened 1899''see separate pages for Report details. 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 RailwayFranklin Prestage]] opened 1918-19. Narrow gauge(NG) railway; constructed became the Agent for the EBR in 1918the early 1870's. Worked by In its original contract with the Secretary of State for India, the EBR*Company was to open a rail-line to [[Lalmonirhat-Gitalaha(Geetaldaha) RailwayDarjeeling]] opened c.1900. Link between However the [[Bengal Dooars RailwayGovernment 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 [[Cooch Behar :Category:State Railways|State RailwayRailways]], jointly worked.* Prestage resigned from EBR and in 1879 set up the [[Teesta-Kurigram RailwayDarjeeling Steam Tramway]] opened cCompany <ref>[http://www.irfca.1885org/articles/eminent-railwaymen. Section html#prestage “Eminent Railwaymen of [[Kaunia-Kurigram Railway]] Yesteryears” by R R Bhandari July 2008, worked reproduced by EBR*[[Netrakona-Mohanganj RailwayIRFCA ''Indian Railways Fan Club'']] was constructed between 1912 and 1918 by the Mymensingh–Bhairab Bazar Railway Company, worked by EBRRetrieved on 2 Jun 2016</ref>.

==Train Ferry Links The EBR==*[[Pandu Ghat-Gauhati Railway]] opened c.1908 Link constructed by EBR to link became the [[Amingaon-Pandu Train Ferry]]. Rail transhipment by ferry crossing the Brahmaputra River linking EBR system to [[Assam '''Eastern Bengal State Railway]]'''(ABREBSR)'s network. Worked , owned and managed by ABR; transferred to ABR, 1922*the Government of India([[Sara Train FerryGovernment of India |GoI]] opened c.1899), on 30 June 1884. Ferry link from EBR main line across Ganges to Sara taking Goods wagons. Operated until 1915 on opening of Hardinge Bridge

The first track was laid along the east bank of In 1915, the Ganga system reverted to [[Kushthia]] and then across the river to [[Dacca]]. The line to Kushthia was opened in 1862style, ending in [[Calcutta]] at [[Sealdah]]. The EBR became the '''Eastern Bengal State Railway''', owned and managed by the Government of India (GoI), on 30 June 1884.

The GoI merged During the [[Calcutta 1920s, the EBR continued to grow by merger and South Eastern Railway]] into the EBSRamalgamation, and several others in 1887. In 1904, the EBSR took over the [[Bengal Central Railway]] which it had previously been working, also began to convert sections of metre and the [[Brahmaputra-Sultanpur Railway]]. In 1915, the system reverted narrow gauge to the style, '''Eastern Bengal Railway'''eliminate rail bottlenecks.

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)broken down into the three Rail Gauge Divisions.<br>The following initial construction of Bridges is not included covered in the index Z/L/AG/46. *a separate page '''L/AG/46/10/35''' : Lists of staff, 1879-1881.   == External links == [http://www.railway.gov.bd/history "Brief History"[East Bengal Railway Bridges|Eastern Bengal Railway Bridges]] ''Bangladesh Railway''. as part of the development of the EBR system

== Notes External Links== *[http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Railway Banglapedia "National Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh" Railway]*[http://inforail.blogspot.com/2012/10/brief-history-of-bangladesh-railway.html "Brief History of Bangladesh Railway" Bangladesh Railway Information]

== References ==<sup>1<references /sup> "Money Market and City Intelligence", ''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, 7a.