Bengal-Nagpur Railway - Lines Owned and Worked

Bengal-Nagpur Railway - Lines Owned and Worked

- a sub-section of the Bengal-Nagpur Railway(BNR) page

The Bengal-Nagpur Railway (BNR) owned and operated an extensive network of railways of broad gauge (BG) and 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge (NG) railways.

By 1918 there was total of 2,795 miles(4,498km) of open lines in the BNR system - this comprised:-

• 1,888 miles(3,038km) of BG lines
• 907 miles(1,468km) of NG.
• A further 328 miles(528km) were under construction - 266 miles(428km) of BG and 62 miles(100km) of NG.

By 1937 this had increased to 3392 miles(5459km)

• 2466 miles(3969km) of BG lines
• 926 miles(1490km) of Ng lines

The BNR also managed, worked and maintained a number of lines on behalf of other parties.

The BNR System Network is clearly shown on this 1937 map

BNR Broad Gauge (BG) Network

1918 BG Network

The listing below is based on the “Administration Report on Railways 1918”

• BNR Main Line Asansol to Nagpur; 630 miles (1,014km); fully opened as BG by 1891. The Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway in 1880-83 opened the 'Nagpur to Rajnandgaon Section', 144 miles(232km) as MG, converted to BG in 1888.
  • Sanctoria Coal Branch Damodaodar to Sanctoria Collieries; opened 1889; 8 miles(13km)
  • Chaurashi Branch Ramkanali to Nodila Colliery; opened 1903; 9 miles(14km)
  • Sambalpur Branch Jharauguda to Sambalpar; opened 1893; 30 miles(48km)
  • Katni Branch Bilaspur via Katni to the GIPR Marwara Junction; fully opened 1891; 197 miles(316km). This was the former Bilaspur-Etawa Provincial State Railway. The Katni-Umaria Provincial State Railway in 1886 had opened Katni to Umaria section, 36 miles(58km)
  • Kanham - Dattapahar Spur; opened 1907; 17 miles(28km)
  • Calcutta Extension Line Sini to Howrah; opened 1900; 171 miles(274km)
  • Fort Gloster; Lawrence Mill; East Loop Narin Bank and Kidderpore Lines; opened 1900; 4 miles(6.4km)
  • FulesVhwar Ring Mill Line; opened 1917; 0.4 mile(0.7km)
  • Shalimar Branch Santragachi to Shalimar; opened 1901; 3.1 miles(5km)
  • Cuttack Extension Khargpur to Cuttack; opened 1898-99; 182 miles(292km)
  • Jharia Extension Khargpur to Midnapur, opened 1901; to Bhojudih, 1903; to Gomoh, 1907; to Bhowrah, 1914. Total 151 miles(243km) See separate page 'Jharia Coalfield Railways'
  • Jhariah Coalfields Spurs ‘Bhojudih-Bhaga-Mounuda Loop’, opened 1903-04; ‘Bhowra Spur’, opened 1903; ‘Bhojudih-Pathardihi Link’, opened 1906 and extended 1915. Total 22 miles(35km); See separate page 'Jharia Coalfield Railways'
  • Nonoodih BNR-EIR Connection, opened 1915, 1.4 miles(2.3km)
  • Katras Connections Malkera to Katras, opened 1903; Khanoodih to Katras, opened 1907. Total 2.5 miles(4km)
  • Murulidih Branch Mohuda to Murulidih Collieries, opened 1907, 2.7 miles(4.3km)
  • Jamadoba Loop, opened 1903, 5.4 miles(8.7km)
  • Aldih Branch, opened 1906, 2.5 miles(4km)
  • Visianagram - Parvatipuram Extension Visianagram to Bobbili, opened 1908; Bobbili to Parvatipuram, opened 1900. Total 48 miles(77km)
  • Bobbili - Salur Branch Bobbilli to Salur, opened 1913, 10 miles(16km)
  • Kalimati - Gorumahisani Extension, Kalimati (later to become Tatanagar Junction) to Gorumahisani , opened 1911, 40 miles(64km). The ‘Badampahar Spur’ extended the line to the Badamphar Iron Mines in about 1922
  • Bokharo Ramgarh Extension Mghuda via Jamuniatand to the BNR/EIR joint line, opened 1913-15. Total 22 miles(35km).
  • Kalamna - Itsari - Nagpur Section Kalamna via Itsari to Nagpur, opened 1911, 4 miles(6.4km)
• BNR East Coast Railway Northern Section Cuttack to Waltair formerly part of the East Coast State Railway, opened 1894-97, 321 miles(516km)
  • Naupuda Salt Branch included in above
  • Puri Branch included in above

BG Lines under construction as at 1918

• Raipur - Parvatipuram Line, sanctioned 1906, 261 miles(420km)
• Kandra - Gomharia Chord, sanctioned 1914, 5.5 miles(8.9km)
• Panposh-Ruipura Railway, sanctioned 1917, constructed and worked by BNR opened 1919-20, 14 miles(23km)

Later BG extensions after 1918

• Raipur - Vizianagram BNR Branch, opened in 1931. Originally surveyed in 1879-82 but not constructed, then known as the Vizagapatam-Raipur Railway
• Anuppur-Manendragarb-Chimiri Railway, opened 1939 by BNR; built primarily to convey coal from the Kotma area

1937 BG Lines

The following extensions to those given in the 1918 Report above are .

• Gua Branch, opened 1924-26, 69 miles(111km), from Raj Kharsawan Junction to Gua with a 4 miles branch to Barabil
• Birmitapur Branch,opened 1622-26, 18 miles(30km), from Rourkela to Birmitrepur
• Raipur-Vizianagram Railway, opened 290 miles(467km) incorporating the 'Visianagram - Parvatipuram Extension' of 44 miles (77km) which had opened in 1908-09
• Tumsar-Tirodi BG Conversion, opened 1929, 29 miles(47km)
• Tatanagar-Gorumahisani Branch, opened in 1922, 21 miles(34km) an further development from Onlajori to Badampahar, (including Salapet Branch), from the 'Kalimati - Gorumahisani Extension', 40 miles(64km) which had opened in 1911
• Nergundi to Talcher Branch, opened 1927, 62 miles(99km), from Nergundi to Talchar. This would have carried coal from the 'Talcher Colliery’, a 'Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Colliery’ and the BNR's own ‘Deulberra Colliery’
• Bokharo-Ramgarh Extension, 1927, 72 miles(115km), Barakakhana to Chandil; an further section to the 'Mohuda to Chaudrapura Section' of 9 miles(15km) and the BNR and EIR lines at Nunudih 1.5 miles(2.5km) all opened 1913-15

BG Lines worked by BNR

See separate pages for details

• Bellary-Kistna State Railway , constructed before 1890; surveyed for Hindpur extension 1892-94; worked by BNR.
• Ganjam District Light Railway , surveyed 1899 but did not go ahead in entirety; Parlakimedi Light Railway opened 1 section, 1900 worked by BNR from 1902.
• Kamptee-Deolapar-Ramtek Railway , surveyed 1903 to construct light railway on public roads to convey Manganese; worked by BNR(qv); no further information
• Pench Valley Coalfield Railway , opened 1906-7; 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG)line, from the Pench and Kanhan coalfields to Chhindwara where it connected to the (BNR) Satpura Railway network; worked by BNR.
• Baripada-Talbond Railway , opened 1920, extension to Mayurbhanj Railway; worked by BNR.
• Visakhapatnam Port Trust Railway , inner harbour railway, built by BNR 1927-33 to export manganese ore.
• Central Indian Coalfields Railway , opened 1927, GoI owned; part worked by BNR; later amagamated with East Indian Railway(EIR)

BNR Narrow Gauge (NG) Network

The listing below is based on the “Administration Report on Railways 1918”

BNR 2ft 6in/762mm Narrow Gauge Lines

See separate pages for details

• Raipur-Dhamtari Railway and Rajim Branch Railway. The first 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) branch of BNR, opened 1900 and extended to Rajim 1906. Total 57 miles(92km)
• Purulia Ranchi Light Railway. BNR NG line, opened 1907 and extended 1913. Total 115 miles(185km)
• Satpura Railway. NG network. Developed by the BNR from 1904 onward, eventually being described as the ‘Satpura Railway’; connected Jubbulpore with Gondia, Mandla Fort, Chhindwara and Nagpur; later extended. Comprising: -
  • Jubbulpore-Gondia Railway. NG extension, opened 1903-13, owned by GoI, worked by BNR. Total 311 miles(501km)
  • Gondia-Chanda Railway. NG extension, opened 1908-16. Total 217 miles(349km)
  • Nagbhir-Nagpur Branch Railway, opened 1908. Total 66 miles(106km)
  • Nagpur-Chhindwara Railway. NG extension, opened 1911, owned by GoI and worked by BNR. Total 97 miles(156km)
  • Tumsar-Tirodi Light Railway. 2ft 0in/610mm narrow gauge(NG); opened 1910 as ‘Tumsar-Katangi Railway’ owned by Central India Mining Co ; Purchased in 1916-17 by GoI; worked by BNR; connecting to BNR's Satpura Railway.

NG Lines worked by BNR

See separate pages for details

• Parlakimedi Light Railway, 2ft 6in/762mm NG; owned by Raja of Parlakimedi, opened 1900, worked by BNR, 25 miles(39km).
• Mourbhanj State Railway, 2ft 6in/762mm NG; owned by Mourbhanj State, opened 1905, worked by BNR, 32 miles(km). Renamed Mayurbhanj Railway 1920 and transferred to private company.