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|timeline2details= Delhi to Samasata line opened to traffic

|stations= [[Bahawalpur]], [[Bhatinda]], [[Fazilka]], [[Ferozepore]], [[Ghaziabad]], [[Jakhai]], [[Rohtak]][[Ghaziabad]] was the connection to [[Delhi]] - see separate page [[Delhi_Railways_%26_Stations#Delhi_Stations| ''Delhi Stations''']] for details

The '''Southern Punjab Railway''' (SPR) was a broad gauge ([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) line built to provide a more direct connection from [[Karachi]] to [[Delhi]] by linking to the original [[Indus Valley State Railway|Indus Valley]] line at [[Samasata]] and avoiding the [[North Western Railway]] loop via [[Lahore]].<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fazilka_railway_station Wikipedia "Fazilka railway station"]; Retrieved 13 Dec 2015</ref>  ==History==The '''Southern Punjab Railway'''(SPR) Company was formed in 1895 with [[Bradford Leslie]] as Chairman. Under contract with the Secretary of State for India, Leslie and his partners formed the company to build a BG Railway from [[Delhi]] to [[Samasata]] about 400 miles to the west. [[Horace Bell ]] was the Consulting Engineer for SPR in London for the construction.,  The Mainline ran north west from [[Delhi]] to [[Bhatinda]] then south west through Bahawalpur State to [[Samasata]], a total distance of 402 miles(643km). Several extension lines (Jullunder, Sutlej Valley etc.) extended the length to 502 miles(803km) in 1905. The SPR Mainline and the extensions were all worked by the ‘[[North Western Railway]]’(NWR) , each line reported financially individually until purchased by Government in 1929-30. From that time onwards the each line was absorbed into the ‘NWR System’.  ==SPR Network of Lines ==The listings below are generally based on the “Administration Report on Railways 1918” <ref name=Admin>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n121/mode/1up “Administration Report on Railways 1918” pages 120-126 (pdf 129-134]; Retrieved 2 Nov 2020</ref> with page numbers (and pdf pages) noted at the end of each entry. This 1918 Report <ref name=Admin/> details the ‘SPR Network’ as part of the ‘NWR System’ but with the ‘Statistics of Working’ (route mileages, capital outlay, income etc) for each part of the SPR given as a separate entities.. ''Significant later information is shown in italics. The listings below includes information concerning the changes from 1929-30 when the SPR was fully integrated into the NWR System'' '' <ref name=Hist151>[https://ia801605.us.archive.org/30/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.36650/2015.36650.India-Railway-Board-History-Of-Indian-Railways-Constructed-And-In-Progress.pdf US Archive .org pdf download of ‘History Of Indian Railways, constructed and in progress’, 31 March 1937 by ‘The Government of India - Railway Department’ page 151-156 pdf 190-195]; Retrieved 2 Nov 2020</ref> ===SPR Mainline and Branches ===[[File: Southern Punjab Railway Map 1909.png|600px|right| Southern Punjab Railway Map 1909]]Total broad gauge [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]] line length 426 miles(685km). Page 121(pdf 130)* ‘[[Delhi-Samasata Railway|Delhi-Samasata Mainline]]’, from [[Delhi]] via [[Narwana]], [[Jakhal]], [[Bhatinda]] to [[Samasata]], opened 1897, 399 miles(642km). ''From 1929-30 this became the ‘NWR Samastra-Bhatinda-Delhi Section’ '' ** ‘Delhi Brewery Branch Line’, opened 1909, 0.8 mile(1.3km)** ‘[[Narwana-Kaithal Railway|Narwana-Kaithal Branch Line]]’, opened 1899, from [[Narwana]] to [[Kaithal]], 23 miles(37km). ''From 1929-30 this became the ‘NWR Narwana- Kurukshetra Section’, 53 miles(85km) by putting together the ’SPR Narwana-Kaithal Line’ with the [[Thanesar-Kaithal Railway| ‘Thanesar-Kaithal Railway’ from Kaithal to Kurukshetra - see separate page]] ''** ‘Jind City Branch Line’, from [[Jhind|Jind]] Junction to [[Jhind|Jind]] City, opened 1916, 2.5 miles(4km). ''From 1929-30 this became the ‘NWR Jind-Panipat Section’, 18 miles(29km) by putting together the ‘SPR Jind City Branch Line’ with the [[Jind-Panipat Railway | ‘Jind-Panipat Railway’ from Jind to Panipat - see separate page]] '' ===[[Jullundur-Doab Railway| Jullundur-Doab Extension Railway]]===Classified under the ‘SPR Network’ as part of the ‘NWR System’ . Total broad gauge [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]] line length 130 miles(209km). Page 123(pdf132)* ‘[[Jullunder-Ferozepore Mainline]]', [[Jullunder]] via Karpurthala, Sultanpur Lodi, Lohian Khas, Gidarpind, Makhu to [[Ferozepore]] Cantonment, opened 1912-14, 73 miles(117km). ''From 1929-30 this became the ‘NWR Jullundur Doab Extension’''** ‘Phillaur Branch Line’, Lohian Khas to [[Phillaur]], opened 1913, 39 miles(63km) . ''From 1929-30 this became the ‘NWR Phillaur-Lohian Khas Branch’ ''** ‘[[Jullundur-Nakodar Chord Railway]]' known as the ‘Nakodar Branch Line’, [[Jullunder]] to [[Nakodar]], opened 1914, 19 miles(30km) . ''From 1929-30 this became the ‘NWR Jullundur City-Nakodar Branch’'' ===[[Ludhiana Extension Railway]]===Classified under the ‘SPR Network’ as part of the ‘NWR System’ . Total broad gauge [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]] line length 152 miles(244km). Page 123(pdf132)' * ‘Ludhiana-Ferozepore Line’, [[Ludhiana]] to [[Ferozepore]], opened 1905, 77 miles(124km)* ‘Ferozepore-MacLeod Ganj Line’, [[Ferozepore]] to [[McLeod Ganj ]](a suburb of [[Dharamsala]]), opened 1906, 75 miles(120km)* ''From 1929-30 these two lines together became the ‘NWR Ludhiana Extension Railway’'' ===[[Sutlej Valley Railway| Sutlej Valley Extension Railway]]===Classified under the ‘SPR Network’ as part of the ‘NWR System’ . Total broad gauge [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]] line length 208 miles(335km). Pages 124-5(pdf135-6) * ‘[[Kasur-Lodhran Railway]]', [[Kasur]] to [[Lodhran]], opened 1910, closed and dismantled 1917-18, 208 miles(335km). Reconstructed 1923-26 with line length 213 miles(343km). ''From 1929-30 this became the [[Sutlej Valley Railway| ‘NWR Sutlej Valley Extension Railway’]] ===[[Ludhiana-Dhuri-Jakhal Railway]]===Classified under the ‘SPR Network’ as part of the ‘NWR System’ . Total broad gauge [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]] line length 79 miles(127km). Page 115(pdf124) *[[Ludhiana]] via [[Dhuri]] to [[Jakhal]], opened 1901. Managed, maintained and worked by [[North Western Railway]] (NWR) under an Agreement with the [[Princely states|Princely ]][[Maler Kotla State]] Durbar and the [[Jhind State]] Durbars. The line was used by SPR linking the ’[[Delhi-Samasata Railway|Delhi-Samasata Mainline]]’ at [[Jakhal]] with '[[Ludhiana Extension Railway]]' at [[Ludhiana]]. ''From 1929-30 this became the [[Ludhiana-Dhuri-Jakhal Railway | ‘NWR Ludhiana-Dhuri-Jakhal Railway’]] ==Records==Refer to FIBIS Fact File #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 1845-1947” - available from the [http://www.fibis.org/store/fibis-books-and-publications/bff-0004-research-sources-for-indian-railways-1845-1947/ Fibis shop]. This Fact File contains invaluable advice on 'Researching ancestors in the UK records of Indian Railways' with particular reference to the [[India Office Records]] (IOR) held at the [[British Library]] An on-line search of the IOR records 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 Jan 2016</ref>gives many references. The most important being:- *'''L/AG/46/39''' “Records of the India Office relating to the Southern Punjab Railway Company; 1895-1914".'*'''L/F/7/2607-2615''' “Collection 401: Southern Punjab Railway, date unspecified"  also concerning the working of the Southern Punjab Railway by NWR.*'''L/AG/46/34''' “ Records of the India Office relating to the North Western State Railway",  == References ==<references />