Mysore State Railway
| Mysore State Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
| [[Image:|150px| ]] | ||
| Line of route | ||
| Mysore to Bangalore Bangalore to Harihar | ||
| Gauge / mileage | ||
| Metre gauge | 296 miles (1905) | |
| Timeline | ||
| Key locations | ||
| Presidency | Madras | |
| Stations | ||
| System agency | ||
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
| Mysore State Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
| [[Image:|150px| ]] | ||
| System timeline | ||
| Constituent companies / lines | ||
| Key locations | ||
| Headquarters | Mysore | |
| Workshops | Bangalore | |
| Major Stations | ||
| Successor system / organisation | ||
| 1887 | Leased to Southern Mahratta Railway | |
| 1912 | System reformed by State | |
| 1950 | Nationalised | |
| System mileage | ||
| Associated auxiliary force | ||
| n/a | ||
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
For most of its being, the Mysore State Railway (MSR), or Mysore Railway as it is sometimes known, consisted of disjointed metre gauge branch lines.
History
Following the disastrous famine of 1876-1877, the original sections of the MSR were planned and built by the State of Mysore, opening to traffic during 1881-1882. In 1887, in order to eradicate its "famine debt", the State of Mysore leased the MSR to the Southern Mahratta Railway (SMR) for a period of 45 years.
In 1907, the SMR transformed itself into the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway (MSMR), with the lease following. At this time, the Railway Department of the State of Mysore was defunct.
From 1912, the State of Mysore again became actively involved in the promotion and construction of railway lines within its boundaries, and, between 1916 and 1918, opened 232 miles of railway to traffic. In 1919, the State succesfully sought the reversion of the Mysore to Banaglore section and two branch lines, the Birur-Shimoga and the Mysore-Nanjangud Railways. Further construction, chiefly between 1921 and 1934, added 105 miles of new track.
From 1 January 1938, the lines leased to MSMR reverted to the control of the State of Mysore, creating a railway of just under 750 miles. In 1950, MSR was nationalised and in 1951 became part of Southern Railway, one of the then newly formed zones of Indian Railways.
Records
Unfortunately, there are no MSR Staff agreements held at the British Library in the India Office Records.
External links
"The Ex-Mysore State Metre Gauge Lines" Ian Manning on the Indian Railways 1965-1969 : Mysore. IRFCA Server.
"Railway Development in the State" p xxxviii p xxxix p xl Current Science, vol 9, September 1940 (Indian Academy of Sciences).
