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[[File:Scinde Railway Company - Lines.png|thumb|File:Scinde Railway Company - Lines]]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 final stage of long haul from Britain to [[Delhi]] and [[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 line linked to the [[Indus Flotilla|’Indus Flotilla’]] Company steamers, also owned by the ‘[[Scinde Railway Company]] ’ which operated upstream to [[Multan]]
Construction heading added , revision, new map
'''Scinde Railway''' also known as the '''Karachi-Kotri (Indus River) Railway'''
<br>– this was the first railway of the [[Scinde Railway Company|'''Scinde Railway Company''' - ''see separate page for further information on the formation and development of the Company'']]
*''Some documents and references refer to the ‘Sind Railway’ which is not the correct spelling.'
*''Not to be confused with the ‘Sind Light Railway’ which is a separate narrow gauge railway.''
==Background==
The 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''' <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 ([[Government of India |GoI]]) to construct the initial section from [[Karachi]] to [[Kotri]]. The company was granted a 5% return on investment up to a maximum 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>.
The London based [[Robert Stephenson]], Consultant Engineer was approached by the 'Scinde Raimway Railway Company' for advice and in 1857 recommended [[John Brunton]] as Chief Engineer. Following Stephenson’s death in 1859 George Bidder was appointed as the Scinde Railway Consulting Engineer in London <ref>[https://books.google.fr/books?id=BzErDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA155&lpg=PA155#v=onepage&q&f=false Google Books "Robert Stephenson – The Eminent Engineer” edited by Michael R. Bailey; page 155-57]; Retrieved 4 May 2020</ref>.
<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 first railways in Pakistan” by Owais Mughal, Posted on September 17, 2009]; Retrieved on 23 Feb 2018</ref>.
From [[Multan]] the ‘[[Punjaub Railway ]]’ ran to [[Amritsar]] where it became the ‘[[Delhi Railway]]’, both owned by the [[Scinde Railway Company]], connected to the [[East Indian Railway]] at [[Ghaziabad]] (just east of [[Delhi]]), thus providing a connection between [[Karachi]] and [[Delhi]] and onward to [[Calcutta]].
==Construction==
[[File:Scinde Railway (Karachi-Kotri).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 <ref name=Gaz344> Sind Gazette British Library Compiled by E H Atkin Bombay Salt Department. Printed for government at the Steam Press Karachi 1907 Page 344</ref> and on 13 May 1861 succeeded in connecting the port town of [[Karachi]] to [[Kotri]] on the Indus River, the first railway line for public traffic between these towns
<ref> [http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Scinde_Railway Grace’s Guide “Scinde Railway”] Retrieved on 2 January 2016</ref>.
The challenges faced during the construction were considerable as described in the article “Karachi to Kotri ‘The Line and Works of the Scinde Railway’ by [[John Brunton]], Institution of Civil Engineers, 1862- The first railways in Pakistan” by Owais Mughal 63 <ref name=MughalBruntonp22>[https://books.google.fr/]], which shows maps books?id=1WsEAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false Google Books ‘The Line and describes many Works of the problems encountered Scinde Railway’ by the Chief Engineer [[John Brunton]], Institution of Civil Engineers, 1862-63 Page 22-23 ]; Retrieved 25 Nov 2020</ref>.<br>Particular reference is given to the earthworks , a viaduct and considerable number of bridges required to be built:-‘Bahrun River Railway Viaduct’ * ‘[[Bahrun Valley Viaduct]]’ The route involved construction a large stone viaduct, the heaviest piece of masonry upon the line with a length of 1,728 feet(527 metres), work commenced 1859 and completed in Jan 1861 [[Bahrun Valley Viaduct |''- 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. In addition there These were erected at the following rivers;- Mulleer, 21 spans; Guggur, 3 spans; Dorbagi, 2 spans; Runnpittiani, 6 spans; Loyach, 8 spans; Rhodh, 3 spans. * 24 Bridges as follows:- 19 bridges of , containing 48 arches , each of 20ft spans20 feet span; 1 bridge of 3 arches each of 30ft spans30 ft span; 2 bridges of , 10 arches of 40ft spans and 40 ft span; 2 bridges of , 4 arches of 45ft spans. ‘Mulleer Railway Viaduct’ this was the longest of 6 viaducts using 80 feet clear span Iron Girders – this longest the being 21 spans <ref>[https://books.google.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 23 ]; Retrieved 19 Feb 2018</ref>
==Records==
'''Construction Staff''' - Other staff of the Scinde Railway involved during the construction are acknowledged:-
*J E Hartley; c.1859-c.1861, ‘Scinde Railway’ Resident Engineer supervising the 'Mulleer Railway Viaduct' construction <ref>[https://books.google.fr/books?id=1WsEAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&fname=false Google Books ‘The Line and Works of the Scinde Railway’ by [[John Brunton]], Institution of Civil Engineers, 1862-63 Page 23 ]; Retrieved 19 Feb 2018<Bruntonp22/ref>
*W T Warren <ref name=Bruntonp25>[https://books.google.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 25 ]; Retrieved 19 Feb 2018</ref>
*Mr Thomas Warren <ref name=Bruntonp25/>
== Further Information ==
*See '''[[Scinde Railway Company]]''', ** '''[[Indus Flotilla]]''', ** '''[[Punjaub Railway ]]''' and ** '''[[Delhi Railway]]''' *and '''[[Scinde, Punjaub & Delhi Railway]]''' following amalgamation in 1870 until 1886 *and '''[[North Western Railway]]''' from 1886 when the line became part of the ‘NWR Mainline’
== References ==
