Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway

1,993 bytes added, 10:40, 25 September 2017
'History' added, replacing 'Records' - following Steve Moore's BL Research
|gauge4=
|gauge4details=
|timeline1date= 18981893
|timeline1details= Opened to traffic
|timeline2date=
|presidency= Bombay
|stations= [[Gondal]], [[Jetalsar]], [[Rajkot]]
|system1date= 18901893
|system1details= [[Bhavnagar-Gondal-Junagad-Porbandar Railway]]
|system2date= 1911
}}
The '''Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway''' was a short (but important in the context of the railways of the [[Kathiawar]] peninsula) metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) line. Jointly owned by the [[Princely states|Princely ]][[Gondal State]], the [[Junagadh State]], the [[Rajkot State]], and the Talukdar of [[Jetpur State]]. The line of 46 miles(72km) connected [[Jetalsar]] to [[Rajkot]] and opened in 18981893.
<ref name=name>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n189/mode/2up "Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 181]; Retrieved 7 Feb 2016</ref>
The line was worked by the [[Bhavnagar-Gondal-Junagad-Porbandar Railway]](BGJPR) until the breakup of that coalition in 1911; then by the administration of the [[Gondal-Porbandar Railway]](GPSR )<ref name=name/>
==History==The line from [[Jetalsar]] to [[Rajkot]] was proposed by the Government in 1891. The Gondal State had spent most of its reserves on the [[Porbandar State Railway]] which reached the port of [[Porbandar]] in 1890. Various meetings were called by the Political Agent and an agreement was reached in 1891. Junagadh State had already started the line as far as [[India Office RecordsNavagad]], see ‘Records’ below, require . Under the agreement when the line was continued to Gondal it would be examined:handed over at cost to Gondal. The financing states agreed to have the [[Bhavnagar-Gondal-Junagad- *''Indicate that there Porbandar Railway]](BGJPR) as the operating company. The capital was an unsuccessful attempt for His Highness split between Gondal and Junagadh with 3/8 each and Rajkot and a reluctant Jetalsar 1/8 each. Raising a total of Rs1,600,000. The line opened in 1893 <ref name=memorial>British Library ‘India Office Records’ L/PS/11/126; P 3748: ‘Memorial from the Thakur Sahib of Gondal regarding his proposal to purchase the Jetpur interest in the railwayJetalsar-Rajkot Railway’</ref>.  The operation of the line ran smoothly until the dissolution of the BGJPR. The circumstances agreement stated that the Railway Board would decide who the operator of the Railway would be. They granted this attempt have not been investigatedto Gondal in 1911 <ref name=memorial/>With the inclusions of the Kathiawar Ports into the [[Kathiawar_Peninsula_Railway_and_Tramway_Systems#Customs_Union_of_British_India|'Customs Union of British India'*''This record implies – see separate page'']] <ref>[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.15023 “Kathiawar Economics” by A. B. Trivedi Bombay 1943 Page 202]; Retrieved 24 Sept 2017</ref> at about the same time, a growth of lines connecting the various ports started. The ‘Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway’ was an important link for north-south traffic and the Railway Board specified the proportion of traffic to and from the various State Ports. <ref name=IOR> British Library ‘India Office Records’ R/1/1/14784(1) “Proposed takeover of the management of the Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway by the Junagadh State Railway from Gondal Railway” Gondal’s reply P1, 1935</ref>. Seeing a threat to its income Bhavnagar approached Jetalsar in 1910 about buying its share in the ‘Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway’ this started a bidding war with both Junagadh and Gondal claiming that Jetalsar had sold its share to them. The relationship between Gondal and Junagadh deteriorated with complaints from Junagadh to the Railway Board of mismanagement, which were dismissed by the Railway Board on investigation. As the two States fought for control. Gondal made a number of pleas to obtain Jetalsar’s share with no success as the Bombay, Indian and British Governments tried to maintain a status quo. During this period a price war broke out and this also lead to a disagreement with Porbandar and the separation of the Gondal-Porbandar Railway in 1916<ref name=memorial/>.  The relationship between Gondal and Junagadh deteriorated with complaints from Junagadh to the [[Gondal RailwayBoard]] had taken over management prior of mismanagement, which were dismissed by the Railway Board on investigation. As the two States fought for control. Gondal made a number of pleas to obtain Jetalsar’s share with no success as the Bombay, Indian and British Governments tried to 1935maintain a status quo.'' *''Raises In the question if end all such proposals were turned down by the [[Junagadh State RailwayBoard]] were sucessful in <ref name=IOR/>. The indications are that the takeover of line continued to operate under Gondal State, feeding both the management of Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway Junagadh and Porbandar State Railways until Nationalisation in 19351947==Further Information=='''[[Kathiawar Peninsula Railway and Tramway Systems]]' '' gives a map, timeline and relates this railway to others in the Kathiawar Peninsula.
==Records==
An on-line search of the [[India Office Records]] (IOR) records held at the [[British Library]] relating to this railway <ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=IAMS_VU2 “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search]; Retrieved 7 Apr 2016</ref>
gives the following:-
*L/PS/11/126; P 3748; 1917; “Kathiawar: Memorial from the Thakur Sahib of Gondal regarding his proposal to purchase the Jetpur interest in the Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway”; 13 Nov 1887-10 Dec 1923
* R/1/1/1565; File 124(2)-P(S); 1924; “Memorial from His Highness the Thakur Sahib of Gondal appealing against the refusal of the Government of India to appoint Courts of Arbitration for the disposal of the Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway and the Gir boundary cases”.
*R/1/1/4784(1) and (2); "File 110-IB(C)/1935 Proposed taking over of management of the Jetalsar-Rajkot Railway by the Junagadh State Railway from the Gondal Railway"; 1935.
== References ==
<references/>
9,628
edits

Navigation menu