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The Dhrangadhra Railway (DR) was a short metre gauge(MG) line constructed for and owned by the Princely Dhrangadhra State.

History

1898. The first section of the ‘Dhrangadhra Railway’(DR) from Wadwhan to Dhrangadhra, 20½ miles(33km) opened [1].
There was an interchange at Whadwan to the broad gauge(BG) Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CIR) ‘Viramgam-Wadhwan Branch Line’ which had opened in 1873. In 1902 this branch line was converted to MG connected at Whadwan Junction the DR directly with the BB&CIR.

1898. Initially, the DR was worked by the ‘Bhavnagar-Gondal-Junagad-Porbandar Railway’(BGJPR)

1911. Upon the collapse of the BGJPR the working of the DR was undertaken by the ‘ Bhavnagar State Railway’(BSR) [1].

1915. The line was extended from Dhrangadhra to Halvad , 20 miles(32km) opened , and the ‘Dhrangadra Quarry Branch’ 2½ mile(4km) [1].

1915. An application was made for a further extension of the line from Halvad to Malia.


This caused an appeal by Morvi State that the line would be prejudicial to their Morvi Railway#Morvi Tramway that had been constructed from Morvi to Maia and served the north-east part of Morvi territory. This tramway to [[Malia)) had been completed by 1910[2]. However this line that had at one time reached Malia had been removed at Malia’s expense back as far as the State line, and finished at Khakhrechi Road [3]. The Bombay Government initially decided that Morvi tramway to Malia should be reinstated, but the requested Dhangadhra link to Malia would be preferred. This was to stop a disagreement between Morvi and Dhangadhra. This only caused Dhangadhra and Malia to refuse to assist the Government and Morvi Engineers. Eventually the link was built by Dhangadhra and opened in 1925 [3] see 1925 below

1919. The working of the DR transferred to the Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CIR) [4].

1925. The further extension from Halvad to Malia, completed, after 10 years delay from application see 1915 above

1926. The record shows the ‘Dhrangadra Quarry Branch’ had been closed but the ‘New entrance to Quarry siding at Kuda’ 0.13 mile(0.2km) had opened [4].


Records

Refer to FIBIS Fact File #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 1845-1947” - available from the 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 [5] gives the following: -

  • R/2/746/306; "File R/C 540:1916-1918:25 Railways - Extension of Dhrangadhra-Morvi Railway to Malia"; 1916-1918
  • L/F/7/299; “Collection 31/3: Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway: Contract as to the costs of Railway Board's control of the Dhrangadhra Railway; 1930”
  • L/F/8/20/1760; “Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway Company, Contract as to the costs of the Railway Board's control of the Dhrangadhra Railway; 1930”

Further Information

Kathiawar Peninsula Railway and Tramway Systems gives a map, timeline and relates this railway to others in the Kathiawar Peninsula.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 170 (pdf178) ; Retrieved 16 May 2020
  2. ↑ British Library IOR/V/10/1610 1909-10 TO 1927-28 ‘Report for 1909-10’
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 British Library IOR/R/2/746 306 Extension of Dhrangadra Railway to Malia Page 4 Paragraph 1
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 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 50-51, 73-74 pdf ; Retrieved 16 May 2020
  5. ↑ “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search; Retrieved 22 Jan 2016
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