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The '''Scinde Railway''' Company also known as the '''Karachi-Kotri (Indus River) Railway'''<br>– this was the first established by deed railway of settlement in March 1855 and incorporated by the ‘Scinde Railway Act’ of Parliament in July 1855. The company contracted with the Government of India ([[Government of India Scinde Railway Company|GoI]]) to construct a line between [[Karachi]] '''Scinde Railway Company''' - ''see separate page for further information on the formation and [[Kotri]]. The company was granted a 5% return on investment up to a maximum development of £1 million in order to build the 120-mile line.<ref name=name> [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 134-135, paragraphs 3.78-3.83] Retrieved on 2 January 2016</ref><ref>"Money Market and City Intelligence", Company''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, 7a.</ref>]]

The ''Note'[[Karachi-Kotri (Indus River) '*''Some early documents and references use the spelling '''Sind Railway]]''' work commenced in April 1858 and on 13 May 1861 succeeded in connecting Karachi .''*''Not to Kotri. This was be confused with the first ‘Sind Light Railway’ which is a separate narrow gauge railway line for public traffic between Karachi City and Kotri, a distance of 108 miles (174 km).<ref> [http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Scinde_Railway Grace’s Guide “Scinde Railway”] Retrieved on 2 January 2016</ref>''

==Background==The company '''[[Scinde Railway Company]]''' was involved first established by deed of settlement in a number of additional railway line projects, as well as March 1855 and incorporated by the establishment ‘Scinde Railway Act’ of Parliament in July 1855 after which a contract was entered with the [[Indus FlotillaEast India Company]] Company on the river Indusin December 1855. The ‘Scinde Railway Act' of 1857 <ref name=name/> granted it the opportunity to extend its operations.

In 1870The Company had been invited to tender in 1855 by the [[Government of India]] to build a railway from [[Karachi|Kararchee(Karachi)]] to [[Hyderabad]], to be called the '''Scinde Railway Company was amalgamated ''' <ref> British Library IOR/L/F/8/10 (853) ‘Contract to build a railway from Kararchee to Hyderabad’, 1855 </ref>, this being a distance of about 120 miles(192km). The company contracted with the Government of India ([[Punjab RailwayGovernment of India |GoI]] and ) to construct the initial section from [[Delhi RailwayKarachi]] Companies and renamed as the to [[Sind, Punjab and Delhi RailwayKotri]]. This The company was covered by granted a 5% return on investment up to a maximum of £1 million in order to build the ‘Scinde Railway Company's Amalgamation Act‘ of 1869‘120 mile’ line <ref name=name> [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 134-135, paragraphs 3.78-3.83] Retrieved on 2 January 2016</ref>.

In 1885 The Scinde Railway, the London based [[Indus FlotillaRobert Stephenson]], Consultant Engineer was approached by the [[Punjab 'Scinde Railway]] Company' for advice and the in 1857 recommended [[Delhi RailwayJohn Brunton]], working as a single company, were amalgamated to create Chief Engineer. Following Stephenson’s death in 1859 George Bidder was appointed as the Scinde Railway Consulting Engineer in London <ref>[[Scinde, Punjaub https://books.google.fr/books?id=BzErDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA155&lpg=PA155#v=onepage&q& Delhi Railwayf=false Google Books "Robert Stephenson – The Eminent Engineer” edited by Michael R. Bailey; page 155-57]] and the company was purchased by the Secretary of State for India; Retrieved 4 May 2020</ref>.

In 1886, The '''Scinde Railway''' was one part of a communication link developed by the '[[Scinde Railway Company]]' constructed primarily to reduce the journey time on the contracts expired final stage of long haul from Britain to [[Delhi]] and responsibility for [[Calcutta]]. The line from [[Karachi]] to [[Kotri]] could move cargo and passengers to [[Kotri]] instead of [[Karachi]], saving approx 250km of circuitous journey through Indus River delta. At [[Kotri]] the railway was transferred entirely line linked to the Government of India([[Government of India Indus Flotilla|GoI’Indus Flotilla’]] Company steamers, also owned by the ‘[[Scinde Railway Company]])’ which operated upstream to [[Multan]] <ref name=Mughal>[http://pakistaniat. com/2009/09/17/karachi-to-kotri-the-story-of-first-railways-in-pakistan/ All Things Pakistan “Karachi to Kotri - The GoI merged first railways in Pakistan” by Owais Mughal, Posted on September 17, 2009]; Retrieved on 23 Feb 2018</ref>. From [[Multan]] the ‘[[Scinde, Punjaub & Railway ]]’ ran to [[Amritsar]] where it became the ‘[[Delhi Railway]] with other smaller state-’, both owned railways by the [[Scinde Railway Company]], connected to create the [[North Western East Indian Railway]]at [[Ghaziabad]] (just east of [[Delhi]]), thus providing a connection between [[Karachi]] and [[Delhi]] and onward to [[Calcutta]].

==Historical books online1858-59 Report==*The following is recorded in “Railways in India for the year 1858-59” for the ‘Sind Railway - Physical Difficulties’ and Construction’<ref>[httphttps://books.google.com.au/books?id=H2cBAAAAQAAJtp4IAAAAQAAJ&pg=PR1 PA20#v=onepage&q&f=false Online pdf version from 'Google Books'The Scinde railway, and its relations to “Railways in India for the Euphrates valley, and other routes to India''] year 1858-59” by W P AndrewsJuland Danvers , Chairman Government Director of the Scinde Railway Company 1856 Google BooksIndian Railways’- presented to both Houses of Parliament by HM Command. Paragraphs 69-72; Pages 17-18]; Retrieved 2 Jan 2021</ref>:-*“The line in Sind (Scinde) proceeds from [http://books[Karachi|Kurrarchee(Karachi)]] to [[Kotree]] on the River Indus, opposite [[Hyderabad]].googleIts lengthy, including a branch to Ghizree Bunder, is 114 miles.com/books?id=ASFcAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover ''Report The most important works are bridges and viaducts, of which there are several of proceedings considerable size, that over the Bahrum River being 600 yards in length; the next largest at 500 yards is over the Mulleer. Other works of magnitude are, an extraordinary embankment across a valley at Dorbejee, required to protect the line from the effects of inundation, and the wharf and steam ferry at Kotree”* “The soil is not favourable for works of excavation, being in general meeting a mixture of sand and clay, often with a hard crust of 1-2 feet and near the Scinde Railway CompanyKaratolla Hills a number of rocky ridges have to be cut through. A further difficulty, which has to be contended with, held on Friday is a scarcity in the supply of water. This will not be when the 24th Julyline is completed, 1857''] Google Booksas the watering points will be fixed at places where there is anabundance. The want of a supply of labour has already been much felt.”*Brunton“The first sod was cut by Sir Bartle Frere in April 1958. The works have hitherto been retarded in consequence of the pecuniary difficulties of the Contractor, Johnwho has lately abandoned his Contract. The line is now being finished by the Company, ''Description of the Line and Works of the Resident Engineer reports that rapid progress has been made.” ==Construction== [[File:Scinde Railway''(Karachi-Kotri). 1863. Available png|right|400px| Scinde Railway (Karachi-Kotri)]]The work commenced in April 1858 to construct the broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) single track railway [http://books<ref name=Gaz344> Sind Gazette British Library Compiled by E H Atkin Bombay Salt Department.google.com Printed for government at the Steam Press Karachi 1907 Page 344</books?id=1WsEAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1 Full View Google Booksref> and on 13 May 1861 succeeded in connecting the port town of [[Karachi]] to [[Kotri]] or on the Indus River, the first railway line for public traffic between these towns<ref> [http://www.panhwargracesguide.co.comuk/rarebooksScinde_Railway Grace’s Guide “Scinde Railway”] Retrieved on 2 January 2016</Description%20of%20the%20Line%20and%20%20Works%20of%20the%20Scinde%20Railwayref>.pdf pdf] from Panhwar.com

The challenges faced during the construction were considerable as described in the article ‘The Line and Works of the Scinde Railway’ by [[John Brunton]], Institution of Civil Engineers, 1862-63 <ref name==External links==*Bruntonp22>[httphttps://webbooks.archivegoogle.org/web/20130122163146/http:fr/books?id=1WsEAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false Google Books ‘The Line and Works of the Scinde Railway’ by [[John Brunton]], Institution of Civil Engineers, 1862-63 Page 22-23 ]; Retrieved 25 Nov 2020</pakistaniatref>.com/2009/09/17/karachi-<br>Particular reference is given to the earthworks , a viaduct and considerable number of bridges required tobe built:-kotri-* ‘[[Bahrun Valley Viaduct]]’ The route involved construction a large stone viaduct, the heaviest piece of masonry upon the-story-line with a length of-first-railways-1,728 feet(527 metres), work commenced 1859 and completed in-pakistan/ Jan 1861 [[Bahrun Valley Viaduct |''Karachi to Kotri: The First Railways in Pakistan- see separate page for further information'']]* 6 Viaducts with Warren Type iron girders, sent out from England, total of 43 each of 80 feet clear span. 17/09/2009These were erected at the following rivers;- Mulleer, 21 spans; Guggur, 3 spans; Dorbagi, 2 spans; Runnpittiani, 6 spans; Loyach, 8 spans; Rhodh, 3 spans. All things Pakistan, now an archived website*[https24 Bridges as follows://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rail_transport_in_Pakistan History - 19 bridges, containing 48 arches, each of 20 feet span; 1 bridge of 3 arches of 30 ft span; 2 bridges, 10 arches of 40 ft span; 2 bridges, 4 arches of Rail Transport in Pakistan] wikipedia 45ft span,

*See '''[[Karachi-Kotri (Scinde Railway Company]]''',** '''[[Indus River) Flotilla]]'''** '''[[Punjaub Railway]]''' for period up to 1861.** '''[[Delhi Railway]]''' *and '''[[Scinde, Punjaub & Delhi Railway]]''' following amalgamation in 1885.1870 until 1886*and '''[[North Western Railway]]''' from 1886 when the line became part of the ‘NWR Mainline’