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'''1859''' The Broad Gauge of 5 feet 6 inches was fixed upon when Indian railways were first commenced in the year 1859. Lord Dalhousie (founder of the [[Public Works Department]]) was in favour of 6 feet; but after much consideration 5 feet 6 inches was decided upon as preferable <ref name=report11> [[1870-71_Report_on_Railways#Rail_Gauge._Paragraphs_11-14.3B_Pages_4-6|‘1870-71 Report on Railways’ para.11 ''transcribed by Fibis see separate page'']]</ref>.
'''1862-66''' The introduction of a lighter system of railways into India was more than once proposed. [[Henry Yule|Colonel Henry Yule R.E., C.B. ]] with the [[Indian Branch Railway|Indian Branch Railway Company ]] constructed two short lines of lighter construction (the [[Nalhati-Azimganj Railway]] and the [[Cawnpore-Lucknow-Fyzabad Railway]]) both with James E Wilson being their engineer <ref name=report11/>.
'''1869''' The recommendation that a much narrower gauge than 5 feet 6 inches should be applied to future lines of railway in India was made by the Viceroy Lord Mayo with the chief ground upon being that of economy. He and the members of his Council considered that the railway system of India was really in its infancy and that such saving could be most satisfactorily secured by adopting a narrow gauge. The Government of India regarded 3 feet 6 inches as the maximum that should be used but begged that this point should be determined in England <ref name=report11/>.
